Monthly Report

Kyocera-KDDI joint venture offers no-upfront-cost agrisolar greenhouses to farmers, targets 50 MW by FY2025

July 26, 2024
Kyocera Communication Systems Agrisolar Greenhouse
Kyocera Communication Systems devised the new scheme amid increasing shortage of land suitable for solar development. (Image: Kyocera Communication Systems)

Kyocera Communication Systems launched a new agrisolar service building agrisolar greenhouses at no upfront costs for the farmers, the company announced earlier this month. It expects to partially commission its first project developed through the new scheme by the end of this month.

“In Japan, construction of solar power plants is underway to resolve the energy shortage and realize a decarbonized society, but land suitable for installing solar power generation facilities is decreasing,” the company said in the statement announcing the new offering.

As part of the 30-year scheme, Kyocera Communication Systems will install greenhouses covered with solar panels on farmers’ land, covering the upfront costs. It will then operate the power plants while the farmers will grow crops in the greenhouses and pay monthly fees to the company.

The company is aiming to reach 50 MW installed capacity through the scheme by the end of FY2025 (March 31, 2026). It is seeking farmers with at least 1,000 square meters of land, primarily in the Kansai and Kyushu TSO areas.

Kyocera Communication Systems expects to fully commission the first project developed using this scheme by the end of FY2025. When completed, the project in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, will consist of 14 agrisolar greenhouses with a combined output of 1.2 MW and an annual generation of 1.36 GWh. Twelve of the greenhouses are expected to be gradually commissioned in FY2024 and two in FY2025.

The first project’s greenhouses will be used to grow shiitake mushrooms, figs, lychees, and grapes.

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