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KYOCERA TCL Solar Completes 8.5MW Solar Power Plant on Reclaimed Island on Japan's Largest Lake
[November 04, 2015]

KYOCERA TCL Solar Completes 8.5MW Solar Power Plant on Reclaimed Island on Japan's Largest Lake


Kyocera (News - Alert) Corporation (President: Goro Yamaguchi; herein "Kyocera,") and Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation (President: Shunichi Asada; herein "Century Tokyo Leasing") announced today that Kyocera TCL Solar LLC (herein "Kyocera TCL Solar"), a joint venture established by the two companies, has completed construction of the largest*1 mega-solar power plant in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. A ceremony was held on October 31 to commemorate completion of the 8.5-megawatt (MW) plant, which will generate an estimated 9,300 megawatt hours (MWh) per year - enough electricity to power approximately 2,900 typical households*2.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151104005665/en/

8.5MW solar power plant completed by Kyocera TCL Solar on an reclaimed island on Japan's largest lak ...

8.5MW solar power plant completed by Kyocera TCL Solar on an reclaimed island on Japan's largest lake (Photo: Business Wire)

To see a photo and video of the plant, please visit: http://global.kyocera.com/news/2015/1102_kfoe.html

Project planning began in October 2013, when Shiga Prefecture was publicly seeking companies to construct a solar power plant on underutilized land on Yabasekihanto Island, located on Lake Biwa. Shiga Prefecture, Kyocera and Kyocera TCL Solar concluded basic agreements in December 2013 and started construction in October 2014.

With the goal of promoting renewable energy and creating a resilient community, the multi-faceted project also includes emergency power-supply equipment consisting of a 4-kilowatt (kW) Kyocera solar power generating system and a 16.2kW storage battery, as well as solar streetlights with clocks powered by 95-watt Kyocera solar modules. In addition, the plant features a nearby observation deck where year-round visitors can view more than 33,000 solar modules from an elevated vantage point with Japan's largest fresh water lake in the background.

To further educate students about solar energy, Kyocera TCL Solar donated eco-lesson kits including miniature solar-powered cars and trains to the Center of Shiga to Act against Global Warming to help students experiment and discover potential solutions for Global Warming, in the hope of helping children deepen their understanding of environmental and energy-related issues.

In addition to this project, Kyocera and Century Tokyo Leasing are developing solar power plants at multiple sites in Japan - many of which are being repurposed on underutilized land such as abandoned golf courses, including a 92MW plant in Kagoshima, 23MW plant in Kyoto, 29.2MW plant in Tottori and 27MW plant in Fukushima, sites which are characterized by expansive land mass, high sun exposure, and a low concentration of shade trees. Kyocera and Century Tokyo Leasing hope to contribute to the development of the region with expansion of renewable energy using solar as a particularly productive way to reduce the impact of global climate change.





 

Project Overview

Location   Yabasekihanto Island, Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Operation Kyocera TCL Solar LLC
Output Approx. 8.5MW
Site area 96,138m2
Solar modules 255-watt Kyocera modules (Approx. 33,000 modules in total)
Expected annual power generation Approx. 9,300 megawatt MWh/year
Electricity generated will be sold to the local utility (The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.) through Japan's feed-in-tariff system.
Completion date October 31, 2015 (Start of Construction: October 28, 2014)
Start of operation November 1, 2015
Design & construction KYOCERA Communication Systems Co., Ltd.
Maintenance   KYOCERA Solar Corporation
 

*1 Largest operating solar power plant in Shiga prefecture, Japan. Research by Shiga Prefecture, Kyocera, Century Tokyo Leasing and Kyocera TCL Solar (as of October 30, 2015).
*2 Based on an average annual use of 3,254.4kWh per household. Source (News - Alert): Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (Graphical Flip-chart of Nuclear & Energy Related Topics 2015)

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, mobile phones, printers, copiers, electronic components, semiconductor packages, cutting tools and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2015, the company's net sales totaled 1.53 trillion yen (approx. USD12.7 billion). Kyocera appears on the latest listing of the "Top 100 Global Innovators" by Thomson Reuters (News - Alert), and is ranked #552 on Forbes magazine's 2015 "Global 2000" listing of the world's largest publicly traded companies.

About Century Tokyo Leasing

Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation (TOKYO:8439) was launched in 2009 through the merger of the former Century Leasing System, Inc. and the former Tokyo Leasing Co., Ltd. Century Tokyo Leasing is one of the leading companies in the industry, operating in four business segments, Equipment Leasing, Specialty Financing (including environmental and energy business), Automobile Financing and International Business. Century Tokyo Leasing enjoys the support of a strong line-up of shareholders, including Mizuho Financial Group and ITOCHU Corporation. As of the year ended March 31, 2015, the company's consolidated operating assets reached total of 2.9 trillion yen (approx. USD24.2 billion), and the company's market capitalization stood at 390billion yen (approx. USD3.2 billion).


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