Headquarters in Tokyo Idemitsu Kosan has started operating a 2 MW agrivoltaic project in Japan.
The Idemitsu Tokushima agricultural solar power plant is deployed on top of a rice field in the city of Komatsushima in Japan’s Tokushima Prefecture.
Idemitsu says the array is one of Japan’s largest agricultural voltaic projects to date. It first announced plans to build the site January 2025 following the successful completion of a 45 kW pilot project in a rice field in Chiba Prefecture.
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The newly introduced array features a system developed by Yokohama-based Clean Energy Japan Co. Ltd, which combines a movable mounting system that automatically adjusts the angle of the double-sided solar panels in accordance with the sun.
“During the growing season, mainly from April to August, sunlight is prioritized on the rice under the panels to ensure the environment necessary to maintain yield and quality, while the backlight of the dual-sided module is also used to compensate for the decrease in energy generation,” the company said in a statement. “During the non-growing season, operation switches to prioritize sunlight on the panel.”
The installation is located 3.8 meters above the rice field, allowing agricultural machines to continue working underneath.
Idemitsu added that the project returns part of the profits from energy generation to farmers as land rent. “By doing so, we will help secure a stable income for farmers and improve the sustainability of agricultural management, as well as address issues such as an aging population and a lack of successors,” the company said. “This will help solve agricultural and local community issues such as foot traffic and the increase in abandoned farmland.”
Idemitu’s latest statement adds that using about 5% of the country’s agricultural land for energy facilities would generate about twice the installed capacity of the solar facilities currently operating in Japan.
“It is estimated that this will be possible, and we will contribute to the expansion of renewable energy and strengthen energy security by securing domestic energy,” the company said, before adding that it will work to popularize and expand agricultural solar energy generation, while building and expanding cooperation programs.
While agriculture in Japan is still in its relative infancy, after the authorities previously decided to do so suspend incentives for more than 300 projects, research has pointed to the potential benefits of the technology. Last April, scientists from the University of Tokyo discovered that agrivoltaic energy makes this possible support productivity on rice plantations. Research last August added to this dual axis tracking may be the most suitable technology for such installations.
The Japanese Photovoltaic Energy Association issued a voluntary reference guide to vertical two-sided PV last month, including safety measures and land sharing approaches for agricultural installations.
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