Canadian Solar - Make The Difference Magazine

INVESTING IN A
RENEWABLE
FUTURE, ONE PANEL
AT A TIME
The disaster at Fukushima has inspired many in
Japan to look more closely at safe, clean and
renewable sources of energy. And imaginative
ways of financing them.
One such initiative invites private citizens to help build
“citizen solar parks” by investing in as little as one
panel. They can even choose to rent a panel if they
wish to. The first installation, comprising 360 Canadian
Solar CS6P-P modules is located outside Hokuto City,
Yamanashi Prefecture, and is surrounded by the scenic
nature and farmland it aims to protect. Founder of
the Citizen Solar movement, Mr. Sawa, explained that
he was in the large-scale wind power generation
business until his retirement a few years ago, and
that he has never lost interest in the opportunities
renewable energy offers.
“I chose Hokuto City as the first location because it has
plenty of sunshine compared to other parts of the
country. It also has a cool climate that enables PV
modules to perform more efficiently, the ideal place for
solar power generation,” he said.
All the energy that the solar park produces is sold to
a local power company and fed into the regional grid.
The profits are then returned to investors. “Besides
giving people the opportunity to show their support
for a renewable future by making a real and immediate
difference, the project also lets them enjoy a good return
on their investment,” said Mr. Sawa. The imaginative
project has also done a lot to raise awareness for solar
power by capturing the attention of the media, and
now enquiries from people wishing to invest are pouring
in from all over the country.
“I spent the first years of my retirement educating
children about the importance of moving towards
renewables in order to prevent global warming,” said
Mr. Sawa. “But when Fukushima happened I decided
that education alone was not enough and I came up
with the ‘Citizen Solar’ idea to more directly engage
people in creating renewable energy solutions.”
The first facility, Hokuto 1 was completed in 2013. It was
soon followed by Hokuto 2 and demand is such that
3, 4 and 5 are now also in the pipeline. “Our first two
phases generate about 400 kWh a day between them
and when all 5 phases are complete the project will
generate 900 kWh,” said Mr. Sawa. “It is my hope that
this is the start of something even bigger and that the
people of Japan will work together to build a completely
clean a sustainable energy future for ourselves,” he
concluded.
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