Mitsubishi Electric supplies first PV system for Nagoya water treatment facility

TOKYO, JAPAN: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. has completed installation of a 191-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) system which will start operation on September 14, 2010 at Nabeya-ueno Waterworks in Nagoya, Japan's fourth largest city.

The waterworks, owned and operated by the Nagoya City Waterworks & Sewerage Bureau, are the city's oldest water treatment facility and the first to introduce a PV system.

Electricity generated by a total of 1,008 PV modules installed over a surface area of 1,430 square meters will partially cover the air conditioning and lighting requirements at Nabeya-ueno Waterworks. The system is expected to generate approximately 192 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity annually and reduce 91 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

The 191kW system will contain a 146kW sub-system composed of 768 PV modules installed on the lid of the filtration system, as well as a 45kW system made up of 240 modules installed on the building roof. The PV system will be equipped with five 3-phase PV inverters in total: two 50kW, one 40kW and two 30kW inverters, all manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric that will convert generated electricity into AC current.

The Nagoya City Waterworks & Sewerage Bureau has to date set mid-term management policies for green operations, striving to utilize new energy sources and technologies that can reduce environmental impact in addition to operational cost. The installation of the 191kW PV system at the Nabeya-ueno Waterworks is part of these efforts.

Established in 1914, the Nabeya-ueno Waterworks are Nagoya's first water treatment facility, and can currently supply 29 tons of water daily. The facility is electronically linked to water distribution facilities and pumps located across Nagoya, and controls water storage and hydraulic pressure. During an electric power failure, the waterworks can connect with and switch functions over to other facilities in Nagoya.

Mitsubishi Electric is the only Japanese manufacturer that makes all key components of a PV system, such as PV modules and inverters, in addition to power devices, which are the main components in inverters. Mitsubishi Electric aims to continue expanding its sales of PV systems for commercial facilities and public utilities.