Sunday, February 19, 2012

No. 38: Introducing a photovoltaic generation system to schools (February 20, 2012)

Business trend
A company in Nagano Prefecture will start to install a photovoltaic generation system in local schools. With the support form the prefecture and an NPO, Sunjunior that specializes in the photovoltaic generation business plans to install the system in five local public schools this spring, and increase the number of schools to 700 in five years. The company will install a photovoltaic generation system with an output of 100 kW, which is equivalent to the output for 25 households, on the roof of school building. The system will come with an emergency power source and LED lighting to provide a gymnasium with the function as an evacuation center in a time of disaster.

It costs about 40 million yen to install the system. Sunjunior will bear part of the cost, and the remaining expenses will be covered by the investment from local companies, local residents, and graduates. Generated power will be sold to electric power companies, and investors will collect their investments from the revenue of selling electricity. The company is working on the details of investment with the NPO, Renewable Energy Shinshu-net, and they wish the investment to be collected in 20 years. While running the system, the company will improve the generation efficiency and operation method to establish the optimal system. With the growing concern over renewable energy, grass-roots projects are expected to spread nationwide in Japan.

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