ORIGINAL: Asahi Shimbun
November 08, 2011
By TETSUO KOGURE / Staff Writer
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| An illustration of the planned condominium with solar panels on the roof to be constructed by Takara Leben in Yokohama's Asahi Ward. (Provided by Takara Leben) |
For one condominium project in Yokohama's Asahi Ward, sales are heating up in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, as solar power is becoming a hot upgrade.
"We have been selling the units at a pace about four to five times faster than normal," said Toshiya Kitagawa, manager of the marketing planning office for Takara Leben Co., the developer. "The deciding factor has been solar energy."
With the recent moves to implement systems in which electric power companies buy electricity generated by renewable energy sources, that could result in the spread of condominiums powered by solar panels.
Under the setup, excess electricity can be sold to the electric power companies by individual households or the entire condominium complex.
At the condominium project in Asahi Ward, about 600 solar panels will cover the roof, measuring 1,600 square meters. The condominium building is scheduled for completion in April.
Each condo unit will be connected to six solar panels, and the electricity generated by those panels will be transmitted to the unit.
If any excess electricity is generated, it can be sold to electric power companies under the system for residential units, which began from November 2009.
Company officials said that the average household will be able to sell more than half of the electricity generated every month to generate an income of 2,500 yen ($32).
Units went on sale from late June, and contracts have been signed for about 70 percent of the 99 units.
The company plans to construct another four complexes and have a total of 500 residential units by 2013 in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The system to transmit electricity to each unit used by the Shinjuku Ward-based Takara Leben in its condominium was developed by JX Nippon Oil and Energy Corp.
Inquiries to the company about its system have increased dramatically since the March 11 quake and subsequent loss of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, and discussions are now being held on installing the setup in at least 5,000 units.
One problem with the system is that it is limited to condominiums that are comparatively low-rise buildings with a wide roof that would allow panels to be installed sufficiently for all units in the complex. The reason for those conditions is that differences in the amount of electricity generated could arise if there are differences in the amount of sunshine due to the position of the panels.
To counter that problem, the condominium developer Daikyo Inc. has installed a system of bundled solar power generation for the entire complex.
At a condominium being constructed in Tokyo's Ota Ward, the solar panels are not connected to individual units. The electricity generated from the panels on the roof are distributed to each unit depending on floor space.
The system requiring electric power companies to purchase all electricity generated by renewable sources to start from the next fiscal year has provided support for the spread of the bundled generation system.
Under the new purchasing system, electric power companies will be required to purchase all the electricity generated by solar power at a high cost. The system originally had in mind stand-alone solar energy plants or factories and office buildings that install a large number of solar panels.
However, officials of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry are now considering whether the system can be expanded to also cover condominiums.
If that change is approved, a condominium would be considered a solar energy plant. Under the system, all the electricity generated at the condominium would be sold to the electric power company at a high price, and then bought back at a lower price. The difference would then be distributed to each residential unit as income.
The system would serve to further stimulate the spread of solar energy along with the system to require electric power companies to purchase surplus electricity.
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