Kyocera (and others) launch 70 megawatt solar farm

[ShiverMePenguins]

Tl;dr Kyocera (mobile phone maker) and a few other companies banded together to create a solar farm near Kagoshima. Japan has been very worried about electricity since nuclear meltdowns (and the dangers that brought). The government is now pushing for the city to purchase 100% of their electricity from green sources.

This plant alone should be able to power over 20,000 homes.

There are also or campaigns being put into place in order to influence the citizens and other companies to follow suit with green energies

Kagoshima in southern Japan is known for its puffing volcano Sakurajima, green tea, and rocket launchpads. Now it has a new superlative -- the country's largest solar plant.

Smartphone maker Kyocera recently launched the Kagoshima Nanatsujima Mega Solar Power Plant, a 70-megawatt facility that can generate enough electricity to power about 22,000 homes.

The move comes as Japan struggles with energy sources as nuclear power plants were shut down after meltdowns hit Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima plant in 2011.

Set on Kagoshima Bay, the sprawling Nanatsujima plant commands sweeping views of Sakurajima, an active stratovolcano that soars to 3,665 feet.

It has 290,000 solar panels and takes up about 314 acres, roughly three times the total area of Vatican City.

Kyocera established the facility with six other firms as well as a company to run the plant. It will sell electricity generated to the local utility, Kyushu Electric Power Co.

A Japanese government program that began in 2012 compels utilities to buy 100 percent of electricity from certain renewable energy power plants.

To spread its solar philosophy, the Kagoshima plant hopes to attract tourists, students, and other visitors to an observation room overlooking the installation, which joins other photovoltaic attractions in Japan such as the Sanyo Solar Ark.

If you can't make it, check out the Japanese promo ad from Kyocera in the vid below.

A link to the meltdown described in article here

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57599582-76/more-bad-news-from-fukushima-as-reactor-leaks-continue/

Source:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57611602-1/kyocera-launches-70-megawatt-solar-plant-largest-in-japan/

[ShiverMePenguins]

youtube.com/watch?v=_uTdsNsJ_D0

Having trouble embedding the video so there you go

[Hyydrah]

Great to see countries finally trying to adopt 100% green energy production. It's a little sad how it takes a disaster like that to motivate them, though...

[bradscoolio]

The problem with investing in solar energy now is that in 10 years time the panels will likely be over 300% more efficient.

[ShiverMePenguins]

The problem with investing in solar energy now is that in 10 years time the panels will likely be over 300% more efficient.

That's just an excuse. An uncle of mine set up a solar panel system himself on his roof a few years ago. He generates on average 20kw an hour. Thats very good and more than enough for a home.

[HaZardousLP]

Solar technology is really important looking towards the future, I mean Australia is a fkn desert why not have a huge solar farm(s) here? Pushing the technology forward to make it more efficient would do wonders for the world and once it's more efficient/cheaper then more things can use it like cars 

[Alex(PlayMedium)]

In a couple decades when we finally know how to make a fusion reactor we will have to worry about how to get rid of all these solar panels...

[dalekphalm]

The problem with investing in solar energy now is that in 10 years time the panels will likely be over 300% more efficient.

As newer and more efficiently solar panel technology comes out, they should be able to phase in the new panels very easily. The infrastructure that goes along with the panels is probably the more extensive part. As long as they planned ahead, they should be able to just swap an old panel out with a newer, more efficient one.

[ForsakenLive]

What energy storage system are they using?

[ShiverMePenguins]

What energy storage system are they using?

Direct active transfer. They do however have a storage system but I haven't been able to find out anything about it.