ORIX Installed Japan’s Largest Carport-Type Solar Power Generation System at AMI PREMIUM OUTLETS®
ORIX Corporation , a leading integrated financial services group,recently announced that Mitsubishi Estate-Simon Co., Ltd. has installed a carport-type solar power generation system (“PV Carport”) sold and arranged by ORIX over a portion of the parking lot at its AMI PREMIUM OUTLETS® facility in the town of Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture.Using approximately 4,000 solar panels to obtain output of up to one megawatt, the PV Carport is installed over about 500 spaces in the lot. It is expected to produce 1,150,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, equivalent to about 80% of the electricity consumed annually by the facility’s common areas.
In this initiative, a carbon-free, clean solar power generation system generates electricity that is exclusively for self-consumption. This allows the facility to cut its CO2 emissions by 581,325 kilograms per year1, reducing its impact on the environment. As a covering for parking spaces, the PV Carport also serves a heat-shielding function in summer and refuge from rain during bad weather, thereby improving satisfaction among outlet customers.
As a member of the Mitsubishi Estate Group, Mitsubishi Estate-Simon engages in CSR activities based on three themes: “promoting environmental management,” “promoting new social contribution activities that harness management resources,” and “creating dynamic workplaces/fostering dynamic human resources.” To address “promoting environmental management” in particular, the company is carrying out facility development initiatives aimed at saving energy at its nine PREMIUM OUTLETS® in Japan, including efficient usage of the lighting and air conditioning inside the facilities more efficiently. The installation of the solar power generation system at AMI PREMIUM OUTLETS® will further enhance these efforts. The Mitsubishi Estate Group is also working to increase solar power output as one of its key CSR objectives (FY 2015 results: about 3,010 kW/14 sites).
The PV Carport is produced by Schletter GmbH, a leading German manufacturer with the top market share in the global solar panel mounting industry. Working jointly with Toyota Tsusho Facilities Corporation, ORIX adapted it to conform to Japan’s Building Standards Act2 and provides it to customers as a one-stop solution, from installation proposals to design and construction and even post-installation maintenance. As one of Japan’s largest solar power producer, ORIX has carried out over 400 projects totaling 850 megawatts in maximum output. Capitalizing its ability to cheaply procure solar power equipment utilizing economies of scale and network with construction companies throughout Japan, ORIX’s past sales of solar power generation systems to customers account for about 700 megawatts in maximum output.
For Mitsubishi Estate-Simon and ORIX, this installation will serve as a good example of an energy-saving initiative at a large suburban shopping facility as the two companies explore expansion to other PREMIUM OUTLETS®.
