Japan meets 10% of peak Aug demand with solar - report

Solar power has accounted for about 10% of the peak electricity supply in Japan during the hottest days of August, a survey conducted by The Asahi Shimbun shows.

The maximum hourly outputs of the photovoltaic (PV) plants of all regional power companies, excluding Okinawa Electric Power Co, totalled 15 GW when electricity needs were highest in early August, the newspaper calculates. By comparison, Japan required an aggregate 150 GW to meet its peak consumption.

On an annually adjusted basis, solar power accounts for just 2% of the country’s total generation. Still, the favourable weather conditions during the hottest summer days boosted the outputs of all solar parks countrywide.

Solar met 16% of Shikoku Electric Power Co’s power needs on its days of peak consumption, while for Chugoku Electric Power Co’s the proportion stood at 12% then, according to the report.

In turn, Kyushu Electric Power Co covered 24.6% of the entire electricity demand in the areas it serves, or 3.65 GW, with solar facilities when power demand was highest. The ratios varied, depending on the amount of sunlight and the size of the PV parks, The Asahi Shimbun said.

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