Kyocera has installed a 214 kW PV system (roof: 57 kW, wall: 157 kW; Number of solar cells: 1,896; Output per solar cell module: 113 W) and 1,040 kW natural gas cogeneration system in its head office (20-story building). These new energy systems supply 54.8% of the power demand and 50% of heat demand in the huge building. Kyocera has installed 157 kW solar cells on the facade of the building, making this the world's largest vertical installation of a PV system on a single building.
 

• Present status of solar power generation
• Power generation trend

Introduction of a solar energy system:
In the building, 504 solar battery panels of 1 square meter each will be installed on the rooftop and 1,392 panels will be installed on the south-side wall of the building. The electric capacity of that system will be 214kw which is equivalent to approximately 12.5% of the total electric capacity of the building. The total annual electric generation amount for the system will be 182,000kwh by introducing such system 45,000 liters of oil which would otherwise be consumed at thermoelectric power plants will be economized in one year. In the same way, 97.2 tons per year of carbon dioxide, 133kg per year of SOx and 92kg per year of NOx which would be generated from the burning of petroleum of that amount will also be economized. Meanwhile, the electric power generated from the system will be the largest in the world out of such systems installed on the vertical wall of one multi-storied building. 

Field test project for solar energy system for public facility purpose:
On August 5, 1997, the New Energy Industrial Technology Total Development Organization ("NEDO") decided to make a new joint project of the field test in the year of 1997. The solar energy system installed in Kyocera's new headquarters building was adopted as one theme of the joint themes within the project. The project has been executed since 1992. The purpose of the project is to experimentally install a solar energy system facilities to some buildings, a final form of the new energy generation and to operate on a long term basis under actual conditions and to accumulate the data in order to form a basic understanding before practically introducing the solar electric generation.


Typical output and solar radiation

In the system, a co-generation is used in which the total energy effectiveness is double that of commercial electric power. First in Japan, the generator adopts a combination system which combines a gas engine using gas and commercial electric power taking due regard to the control of the discharge of SOx. This system will operate by way of combination of the two kinds of the electric power generation facilities and commercial electric power. In particular, the electric power generated by the solar electric generation system can be supplied as the commercial electric power. It may indicate a new course in the future of building electric power source systems. 

3.  Effective Use of Nighttime Surplus Electric Power

By introducing an ice thermal storage system, the nighttime surplus electric power can be effectively used and the air-conditioning load during the daytime can be balanced. This will contribute to solving the difference in electric power use in the Summer season between the daytime and nighttime and also be effective for lowering the running costs, which is a big theme in the society. 

4.  Preferential Introduction of Energy Reduction Facilities and System

Together with the energy reduction technologies such as the "air-conditioning capacity selective operation system," "electric inverter control," and "system to change the volume of air of the air-conditioning duct," the system adopts the "perizone ventilation system" which is very rare in multi-storied buildings. The purpose of this system is to reduce the thermal energy by cooling the perimeter zone of which thermal load changes are large in Spring and Fall. Furthermore, the system adopts a high-efficiency inverter illumination and installs the energy use measuring system on each floor for promoting an energy reduction frame of mind among the employees. 

5.  Reduction of Natural Water Resources

The use amount of the city water will be reduced by using underground water and several thousand tons of rain water per year to cool the air-conditioning facilities and for sprinkling garden plants and cleaning toilets.