Fukushima, Japan Rebuilding Communities with Solar, Commits to 100 Percent Renewable Energy by 2040

Published at Renewable Energy World --- Fukushima experienced the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit three years ago. Now, the region is trying to turn the “lost landscape” into massive renewable energy fields. The prefecture has declared “zero dependency on nuclear energy” and created a goal to meet 100 percent of its electricity needs with renewable energy, such as solar, by 2040. The prefectures also believes that investing in renewable energy will spur economic development and create jobs to help its recovery and rebuilding efforts.... Read More Here

Children learning solar systems at Agripark in Fukushima

San Diego Gas & Electric Achieves 23.6% of Renewable Energy Procurement in 2013

Based on the latest RPS Procurement Progress Reports filed by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), the utility procured 23.6% of its 2013 retail electricity sales with renewable power. It is moving toward the state goal of 33% by 2020.

SDG&E sold 16,164,015 MWh of electricity during 2013.
SDG&E procured 3,811,607 MWh of renewable energy during 2013.

Out of 3,811,607 MWh of renewable energy, solar PV accounts for 791,675. This means that solar represents 20.7% of the renewable procurement.

It is still 20.7%, but it was a big jump from 2012. During 2012, only 3,264 MWh of solar was procured.

Some of utility-scale solar projects contributed to SDG&E's achievements in 2013 were:

• Cataline Solar Project (143 MW-DC/110 MW-AC) in Kern County
• CSolar South Solar Project in Imperial County
• Campo Verde Solar Project(139 MW-AC) in Imperial County
• Arlington Valley Solar Energy Project (127 MW-AC) in Arlington, AZ

CSolar South project in the Imperial Valley 

More solar projects are expected to be connected and deliver electricity this year.  In 2014, the total procurement of solar is supposed to increase to 2,021,699 MWh - 2.5 times of 2013, according to the plan submitted to the CPUC.

汚染された土地をメガソーラーで再活用、潜在導入量は5.5GWに (Turning Contaminated Lands into Solar Power Fields)

Published at Nikkei Technology --- 米国では今、汚染された土地（汚染サイト）を、再生可能エネルギーの拠点として再活用しようという動きが活発になっている。米国環境保護庁（EPA：Environmental Protection Agency）の調査では、米国にある汚染されたサイトへの、太陽光発電システムの潜在導入量は5.5GWを超えるという。汚染サイトの活用を目指して、電力会社も動き始めた。

RE-Powering America’s Land！EPAは、汚染された土地を浄化して、再生可能エネルギーを開発する「RE-Powering America’s Land」と呼ぶ活動を始めた。対象となるのは、「スーパーファンド」や「ブランフィールド」、自然保全再生法の対象地域、旧埋め立て処分地、採鉱現場などである。... Read More

Maywood Solar Farm at Superfund Site, MD (10.86 MW)

San Diego Ranked as Top 2 Solar City in the U.S!

San Diego is listed as the second in the nation in terms of solar PV installed capacity.  The report, released by Environment California in April, lists top 20 solar cities by total installed solar PV capacity (as of end of 2013).

San Diego is reported to have installed 107 MW of cumulative solar PV capacity. The No. 1 solar city was Los Angles, which has installed 132 MW.

Five Californian cities made it to the Top 20 (Los Angles: No 1, San Diego: No 2, San Jose: No 4, San Francisco: No 9, and Sacramento No. 12)...

"Off-grid" Solar Integrated Curtain Walls Developed by Obayashi Co. in Japan

In April, Obayashi Co, a leading construction service company in Japan, announced that it has developed and installed a solar integrated (BIPV) curtain wall system as one of its testing facilities.

The curtain wall is made of crystalline silicon cells with glasses.

Unlike regular BIPV systems, this system is not connected to the grid. The power generated by this system is used to operate energy efficient windows and retractable screens for windows and stored in batteries.

Some benefits of being off-grid are (1) power can be used for communications and lights in case of emergencies and (2) it can be quickly installed since it doesn't need to go through lengthy regulatory procedures with utilities.

Hokkaido Is the New Solar Capital of Japan

Published at Renewable Energy World --- While not the warmest or sunniest part of Japan, Hokkaido will become the largest “mega-solar” market in Japan according to the latest data published by the nation's Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI). The METI has approved over 31 GW worth of PV systems under the feed-in tariff (FIT) program between July 2012 and January 2014. PV systems sized over 1 MW, known as mega-solar, represent over 51 percent of the approved systems or 16 GW, out of which Hokkaido accounts for 12 percent of all approved mega-solar projects.... Read More Here