New project commences Kyocera TCL Solar LLC’s floating solar power plant business in Japan

Kyocera Corporation, Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation and Ciel et Terre International announced today that they will begin construction this month on the world’s largest floating solar installation. Kyocera TCL Solar LLC will develop and operate utility-scale floating solar power plants utilizing Ciel et Terre’s Hydrelio© floating solar platforms in two installations, totaling 2.9 megawatts (MW) at Nishihira Pond and Higashihira Pond in Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The 1.7MW plant planned at Nishihira Pond will become the world’s largest solar power generating system installed on water*1.

Kyocera and Century Tokyo Leasing jointly established Kyocera TCL Solar LLC in August 2012 for the purpose of constructing and operating multiple utility-scale solar power plants in Japan under the country’s feed-in-tariff system, which commenced in July 2012. Since the company launch, it has constructed 28 solar power plants, of which 11 plants have begun operation.

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1 World’s largest floating solar power plant in terms of output (as of September 3, 2014)

Kyocera, the Japanese high-tech electronics company and manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) cells, modules and systems, has joined Belgian nanoelectronics research centre imec’s Industrial Affiliation Program (IIAP) to advance next-generation crystalline silicon solar cells.

This multi-partner R&D program aims at increasing the efficiency of solar cells and modules while at the same time lowering the cost for solar energy. This is done through the development of innovative industry-relevant solutions on different crystalline silicon solar cell technology platforms with improved efficiencies ranging from 22.5 to 25 percent.

The IIAP creates a research ecosystem for accelerating the development of intellectual property, sharing R&D resources and risks, providing companies a cost-effective way to extend their research and product development capabilities. Researchers from energy companies, solar cell manufacturers and material and equipment suppliers collaborate with imec’s solar experts on developing advanced processes and testing them on imec’s semi-industrial pre-pilot line. Covering the complete solar cell value chain, imec’s industrial affiliation program provides essential information to help its partners make the right R&D choices to innovate their solar cell technologies, supporting them to maintain a competitive positioning in the solar cell market.

To read the entire article, go HERE.