KYOCERA TCL Solar Completes 29.2MW Solar Power Plant on Repurposed Land in Japan
Company’s largest solar power plant repurposes abandoned golf course to provide equivalent power for approximately 12,000 average households
KYOTO, Japan: Kyocera Corporation (herein “Kyocera”) and Tokyo Century Corporation (herein “Tokyo Century”) announced that Kyocera TCL Solar LLC (herein “Kyocera TCL Solar”) has completed construction of a 29.2 megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar power plant in Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The solar modules were installed on 1.2km2 of land originally designated for a golf course and other purposes but subsequently abandoned. A ceremony was held on April 27 to commemorate completion of Kyocera TCL Solar’s largest solar power plant.
108,504 Kyocera solar modules will generate an estimated 36,080 megawatt hours (MWh) per year — enough electricity to power approximately 12,000 typical households*1. All electricity generated at the plant will be sold to the local utility (The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc.). Since Tottori Prefecture has a Japan Sea coastal climate with heavy snow and short hours of sunlight during the winter months, it is not always considered to be a suitable area for constructing a solar power plant. However, the company overcame such difficulties by optimizing installation methods to allow for weather conditions of the area and ensure sufficient power generation capacity.
Kyocera TCL Solar has constructed 63 solar power plants across Japan including this 29.2 MW plant with approximately 215 MW*2 of total output since the company was established in August 2012. Kyocera TCL Solar, Kyocera and Tokyo Century remain committed to promoting renewable energy as well as contributing to environmental protection and the creation of a sustainable society through their solar energy business.
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Project Overview |
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| Operation | Kyocera TCL Solar LLC | |
| Location | Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture, Japan | |
| Area | Approx. 1.2km2 | |
| Output | Approx. 29.2 MW | |
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Expected annual |
Approx. 36,080 MWh
(enough electricity to power approximately 12,000 typical households) |
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| Solar modules | 270-watt Kyocera modules (108,504 modules in total) | |
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Electric power |
The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc. | |
| Start of operation | April 2, 2018 (Start of construction: September 2015) | |
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Design & |
TESS Engineering Co., Ltd. | |
| Maintenance | Kyocera Solar Corporation | |
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Company Overview |
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| Company name | Kyocera TCL Solar LLC | |
| Location | Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan | |
| Shareholders | Tokyo Century Corporation (81%)
Kyocera Corporation (19%) |
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| Established | August 2012 | |
*1 Based on average annual use of 2,973.6 kWh per household. Source: Japan Atomic Energy Relations Organization (Graphical Flip-chart of Nuclear & Energy Related Topics)
*2 Total output of the plants in operation as of April 26, 2018
About KYOCERA
Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO)(TOKYO:6971) (http://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of solar power generating systems, electronic devices, industrial and automotive components, semiconductor packages, printers, copiers, mobile phones. During the year ended March 31, 2018, the company’s consolidated net sales totaled 1.58 trillion yen (approx. USD14.9 billion). Kyocera appears on the “Top 100 Global Innovators” list by Clarivate Analytics and is ranked #522 on Forbes magazine’s 2017 “Global 2000” list of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.
About Tokyo Century
Tokyo Century Corporation (TOKYO:8439) (https://www.tokyocentury.co.jp/en/) was launched in 2009 through the merger of Century Leasing System, Inc. and Tokyo Leasing Co., Ltd. Its core lines of business include equipment leasing, specialty financing, domestic automobile financing, and international business, with operations in 37 countries and regions around the world. Tokyo Century is focused on high-growth areas that transcend the boundaries of leasing and finance, such as aviation, solar power generation, and robot dispatch (rental) businesses. As of the year ended March 31, 2017, the company’s consolidated operating assets reached total of 3.2 trillion yen (approx. USD28.7 billion), and the company’s market capitalization stood at 404 billion yen (approx. USD3.6 billion).
