Tokyo-based startup Girasol Energy and Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture Enterprise Bureau have re-powered Japan’s oldest PV system, a 100 kW array built in 1993. The project aimed to partially replace the original 13.3% efficient solar panels and provide an alternative to dismantling and recycling the system’s components.
Japanese startup Girasol Energy and the Yamanashi Prefecture Enterprise Bureau have jointly updated the country’s oldest PV system: a 100 kW array deployed in 1993.
The system had a 95 kW inverter and 1,800 solar panels with an energy conversion efficiency of 13.3%, spread over a plot of 751 square meters.
“We redesigned the plant to maximize performance and continue operations by carrying out targeted repairs based on the highly accurate expected energy generation, calculated using simulation technology obtained from big data analysis,” said Girasol Energy. “Instead of completely replacing the solar panels, we mainly rewired the wiring, repaired the components of the communication system and replaced the inverter.”
Girasol Energy said that renovating systems, rather than recycling components, is a practical solution for PV systems whose feed-in tariff will expire in the coming years.
“WWe believe that by quickly identifying defective parts and making accurate repairs, even small and medium-sized power plants that have been installed for years can remain profitable,” the company said.
The companies did not disclose additional technical details about the PV system, which currently powers nearby restaurants and a golf course. The renovation project is part of an initiative by the business office.
“This is the first attempt at this first to aim for 50 years of operation of PV systems,” the company said in a statement. “Repowering a solar power plant does not necessarily mean replacing the entire equipment. We have been able to clearly demonstrate a path to the future where energy generation can be restored by making appropriate redesigns when equipment breaks down or reaches the end of its life.”
The companies have developed an Internet of Things (IoT) platform that enables real-time remote monitoring of solar power plants, allowing operators to track data from sensors without additional lines of communication.
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