INTRODUCTIONS OF AIST 1MW SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC TOWN

- PV MODULES -

 This new installation containes a total of about 5,600 PV modules, commercially available from seven PV manufacturers in late 2003, and occupies about 6,500m2, roughly equal to the area of a soccer field. This is equivalent to 0.7% of the current land area at AIST Tsukuba Center.
 All photovoltaic modules installed at AIST Tsukuba Center are classified according to the type of solar cells in Figure 2. The share of the monocrystal Si PV module (46%) is rather higher than one in the distribution of photovoltaic modules shipped worldwide (29%) [2], in the main because almost all existing PV systems (150 kW) were comprised of monocrystal Si PV modules. In the new installation (869 kW), the distribution of the type is almost similar to the distribution shipped in the global market.
 The distribution of the component facilities of the photovoltaic system at AIST Tsukuba Center is shown in Figure 10, and the specifications of the facilities are listed in Table 2 in the last page of this paper.

 

Images: 'PV modules occupies roughly equal to Soccer fileld.'

- POWER CONDITIONERS (INVERTERS) -

 The newly installed PV systems use a total of 211 power conditioners (inverters) of the 4-kW type designed principally for residential use. These power conditioners are connected to AIST's low-voltage electric distribution grid (single-phase three-wire system).
  In addition, 13 power conditioners of the 10-kW type (single-phase three-wire system), commonly used in PV systems installed in public and industrial buildings, are connected to the existing PV facilities at Sakura-Kan Building, Keyaki-Kan Building and etc. About 85% of all photovoltaic systems in the Japanese market are the grid-connected type for residential use [3]. Since about 87% of the power conditioners at Tsukuba Center are also of the residential use type, at least with respect to capacity, the system  configuration at AIST Tsukuba Center almost matches the distribution in the Japanese domestic market.
 

 
 Figure 2: Distribution of solar cell types of PV modules in AIST Tsukuba Center

[2] PV News Vol.22 No.3 (2003)
 [3] JPEA, Japan Photovoltaic Association (2003).