Japanese helping Maldives meet renewable energy goals

Kyocera Corporation is working with Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Wakachiku Construction to install 675-kW of solar power generating systems at schools and other public facilities in the Republic of Maldives.

The Project for Clean Energy Promotion in Malé, the Maldives’ capital, has received 1 billion Yen (USS11.1 million) of funding from the Japanese Government under its Cool Earth Partnership program.

With an average ground level of just roughly 1.5 meters above sea level and the highest natural point of 2.4 meters, the Maldives archipelago is one of the most vulnerable countries on the planet to the impact of rising sea levels caused by climate change, and thus has been at the forefront of advocacy for reducing global emissions of CO2.

The first phase of the project has been completed, with a total of 395-kW of solar power having been installed at five locations, which will generate an annual 465,227-kWh of power and off-set roughly 146 tonnes of CO2 per year. A second phase has also been decided upon which will see another 280-kW installed at five more locations — making the total project the largest installation of solar power in the country.

The project is using Kyocera's 210-watt module, with 1,896 installed in the first phase and another 1,344 planned for the second phase. Due to the high occurrence of typhoons on the island, the backsides of the modules have been reinforced with extra support bars for enhanced wind-pressure resistance.