KYOCERA to provide 13 MW of solar modules for one of Japan's largest solar installations

KYOTO, JAPAN: Kyocera Corp. announced that it will provide approximately 13 megawatts (MW) of solar modules for the Ohgishima Solar Power Plant "Mega Solar System," planned by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) with construction by Hitachi Ltd.

Scheduled for completion in 2011, the installation will be one of the largest in Japan, providing electricity for approximately 3,800 homes and off-setting about 5,800 tons of CO2 emissions each year. To promote land-use efficiency, the Kyocera solar modules, covering about 57 acres, will be installed on an artificial island just outside of Tokyo Bay.

Kyocera has a track record of providing solar modules for large-scale power plants in Europe — the world's largest solar energy market. Kyocera has supplied 13.8MW of modules for Spain's Planta Solar de Salamanca and other large-scale projects.

Governmental subsidies and a planned feed-in-tariff system are increasing demand for solar energy in Japan as well — both for residential applications and among public utility companies, which have confirmed plans to build large-scale solar power plants by 2020.

With over 34 years of experience in the solar business, Kyocera has attained the largest share of Japan's market for industrial and public solar installations due to the high quality of its products and the trust earned from customers.

Kyocera first began research into solar energy in 1975, and over the years has developed a unique fully-integrated production process — allowing the company to ensure high quality by controlling every phase of manufacturing, from procuring raw silicon to producing photovoltaic cells and assembling finished modules.

By developing high-efficiency multicrystalline solar cells for a multitude of applications, Kyocera will continue to contribute to energy independence and the preservation of the global environment.