11. Japan’s Sunshine Project with a Long-Term and Far-Sighted Perspective
2. R&D and Commercialization of Solar Power Generation in Japan That
Contributed to the World
3. Expansion of Solar Power and Other Renewable Energy in Japan
4. Let’s Talk About the Future!
Can renewable energy cover the world’s energy needs?
Japan’s World-Leading Renewable Energy Development
—Review the 50-Year History of the Sunshine Project
and Look Into the Future—
Yukinori Kuwano
Former President and CEO of Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.,
Outside Director of Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.
Honorary Advisor of the Photovoltaic Technology Research Association
©Y.Kuwano 21) At the beginning of 1970, discussions on alternative energy were started in
the MITI to respond to concerns about the unstable energy supply at that
time.
2) In the wake of the outbreak of the Middle East War in 1973 (50 years ago),
the oil crisis occurred, and oil prices rose approximately four-fold.
1-1. The Sunshine Project was planned prior to the oil crisis in 1973
Outline of the Sunshine Project
1) Solar energy power generation system technology (solar power generation, solar
thermal power generation, etc.)
2) Geothermal energy
3) Coal energy (coal liquefaction technology and gasification technology)
4) Hydrogen energy (hydrogen production technology, hydrogen transportation, and
storage technology)
5) Wind energy
6) Ocean thermal energy conversion
7) Biomass
Source: Data released by METI
3) The necessity of developing alternative energy sources was emphasized.
With the aim of developing alternative energy, the Sunshine Project was
launched in 1974.
(Japan’s first national long-term industry-government-university collaboration
project)
©Y.Kuwano
1-2. Two major energy resource wars in the past
1) On October 6, 1973 (50 years ago), the fourth Middle East War began. Of the OPEC member oil-producing
countries, six Persian Gulf countries decided to raise listed crude oil prices approximately four-fold (from
3ドル.01/barrel to 11ドル.65/barrel).32) In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine.
The G7 countries imposed sanctions, which led to the energy resource war.
©Y.Kuwano Source: each Website.
Biomass
Wind power
Hydraulic powerp nVSun- Inexhaustible
- Clean
- No regionally uneven
distribution
Solar cell
Utilization of electricity
Light → Electricity
100,000 trillion Kcal/h
p-n junction
Solar energy, which reaches
the Earth’s surface within just
one hour, can provide energy
consumption for all human
beings in one year.
Utilization
of heat41-3. Enormous solar energy
©Y.Kuwano Source: each Website.
1-4. At first, solar cells were used as power sources for satellites
Photograph:
Provided by Alcatel-Lucent
Bell Laboratories5©Y.Kuwano 6Photograph:
Provided by Sharp Corporation
In Japan, solar cells were used as power sources for lighthouses
Ogamishima Lighthouse
in Nagasaki Prefecture
2000
1975 80 85 90 95 20000Year400060008000Up to 100 yen/W
Solarcellmodulecost(yen/W)
Up to 30,000 yen/W (cost at that time)
Aim to reduce
cost to 1/10071-4. Solar cell costs predicted in 1974 (approx. 50 years ago)
©Y.Kuwano
Types of solar cells
1. Crystalline silicon solar cells (monocrystalline
Si and polycrystalline Si)
2. Thin-film solar cells
a) Amorphous Si or other thin-film silicon
solar cells
b) Compound-semiconductor solar cells
c) Organic solar cells (dye-sensitized, organic
semiconductor, and perovskite solar cells)8Crystalline
silicon
Thin-film
silicon
Organic
(dye-sensitized)
Compound
Perovskite solar cell
1-5. Development of various solar cells
©Y.Kuwano Source: each Website. 91. Japan’s Sunshine Project with a Long-Term and Far-Sighted Perspective
2. R&D and Commercialization of Solar Power Generation in Japan That
Contributed to the World
3. Expansion of Solar Power and Other Renewable Energy in Japan
4. Let’s Talk About the Future!
Can renewable energy cover the world’s energy needs?
©Y.Kuwano 101973: The oil crisis began.
1974: The Sunshine Project and other national projects of different countries were launched.
1980: NEDO was established, and solar cells began to be applied to electronic products (e.g., calculators).
1988: The problem of global warming came to the surface.
2004: NEDO announced the Photovoltaic Roadmap Toward 2030 (PV2030).
2005: The worldwide solar cell production exceeded 1 GW.
2015: The UN adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2012: The feed-in tariff system was introduced in Japan.
2000: Germany established the feed-in tariff (FIT) system.
2015: COP21 (UN Climate Change Conference: Paris Agreement)
1993: The New Sunshine Project was launched.
2021: The government defined renewable energy as a core energy source in the 6th Basic Energy Plan.
An industry-university-government
collaboration system for R&D and
commercialization was established.
Third phase:
Period of global expansion of
solar power generation
As of 2024, the worldwide solar power generation has
reached 1 terawatt.
Between the late 1990s and 2005, Japan boosted the world’s largest production of solar cells.
2018: The worldwide solar cell production exceeded 110 GW.
Early days of
solar cells
1992: The system for purchasing surplus electricity from solar power generation was launched,
and a private residential PV system with reverse power flow was implemented.
Second phase:
Came into use for electric power
Growth period
2-1. History of development and expansion of solar power generation
©Y.Kuwano
1994: The subsidy system for private residential PV systems, field test projects for solar power generation for public facilities, etc., were started.
In the wake of the oil crisis, the development of renewable energy
was promoted as a national project.
We aimed to develop new integrated amorphous Si solar cells
that were different from conventional solar cells.
SANYO, Sharp, and other companies decided
to use solar cells for electronics.
Sunshine
Project
promoted
2-2. Covering the energy needs of human beings with renewable energy was not easy
©Y.Kuwano11However, solar power generation and other renewable energy were
immature as alternative energy sources and could not compete with
existing electric power.
In the late 1970s, many domestic and overseas renewable energy
developers and manufacturers fell behind in the development of solar cells.
(a) Conventional solar cellsV0.5 V
(b) Integrated type
Back electrodea-SiTransparent electrode
Back electrodea-SiTransparent electrode
Glass
Glass
Amorphous Si = a-Si12The technology of serially
connecting the end faces of thin-
film solar cells in this pattern
provides the basic structure for
thin-film solar cells, which were
developed later.
Conventional
crystalline solar cells
were connected in
series via a lead wire.
2-3. Development of new solar cells: The structure of an integrated amorphous Si solar cell
©Y.Kuwano
World’s first industrialized amorphous solar cells1980(44years ago)
©Y.Kuwano13 14
Panasonic Solar Amorton Co., Ltd. still produces solar cells even now
(Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture)
Source: Website of Panasonic Solar Amorton Co., Ltd.
©Y.Kuwano
1960 1980 2000 20200102030
Conversion
efficiency(%)15
and the conversion efficiency of solar cells began to increase in the late 1990s
2-4. The national project continued
©Y.Kuwano
Around 1989, the Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin-layer (HIT) solar cell,
a new solar cell that combines the merits of amorphous SI and
crystalline silicon, was developed.16The world’s highest conversion efficiency HIT solar cell was
developed from a preposterous idea.
1. There had been little progress in improving conversion
efficiency.
2. There seemed to be nothing that could be done any longer.
3. The reverse idea of the HIT structure was conceived.
4. Incredibly high conversion efficiency was realized.
5. Conversion efficiency has continued to increase.
2-5. HIT solar cell: A new high conversion efficiency solar cell born out of a preposterous idea
©Y.Kuwano
The HIT structure consists of amorphous Si stacked on crystalline Si
Crystalline Si
p-type a-Si
i-type a-Si17(similar to grafting bamboo onto a tree)
©Y.Kuwano 18Structure of the new high conversion efficiency HIT solar cell
p-type c-Si
n-type (up to 900C)
Al electrode
Conventional structure HIT structure
i-type/n-type
(a-Si: Up to 200C)Backelectrode
n-type c-Si
Surface
electrode
p-type/i-type
(a-Si: Up to 200C)
Cell thickness:
Approx. 200 microns
(HIT: Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin-layer Solar Cell)
©Y.Kuwano
World’s highest level of conversion efficiency
Characteristics of HIT®: High conversion efficiencyMassproduction
22 .5 %
World’s highest level
Mass production
(125-mm square cell)
R&D
25 .6 %
R&D (size in practical use)
Highest in the world
- The conversion efficiency of 25.6% does not
depend on the size.
* Both of these are the figures at the time of
announcement.19©Y.Kuwano
1) At that time, private residential photovoltaic system
(PV) was not allowed to connect power lines.
2) Next, approach to MITI and electric power companies
The solar cell industry has lobbied power companies to connect
PV systems to the power grid and to purchase surplus electricity
from solar power generation.
3) In 1992, the power industry decided to allow
interconnection between these systems, thereby
establishing a system under which electric power
companies purchase surplus electricity from solar cells.20Between the late 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s,
the efficiency of solar cell modules exceeded 10%.
2-6. The challenge of private residential photovoltaic system with reverse power flow
©Y.Kuwano 21Construction of first private residential PV system with reverse power flow
©Y.Kuwano
(1992, Katano City, Osaka Prefecture)22First private residential PV system with reverse power flower
©Y.Kuwano 23Solar cells:
Approx. 1.8 kWDCSW
Earth leakage breaker
Metering equipment
Purchase
electricitySellelectricityACSW
Outdoor
Service line
Indoor
Diagram of the PV system using reverse power flow.
Power
conditioner
Emergency shut-off device
©Y.Kuwano 24(1) Since it is treated as a general power plant, individual permission is required for each PV systems
(2) A special large emergency shut-off device designed to shut off the system in case of unexpected
circumstances had to be installed.
(3) Appointment of a chief electrical engineer for constant monitoring is required.
Based on the idea that these regulations had prevented the PV system from
spreading among general households, the whole PV industry encouraged the
government to change the system again. As a result, the regulations were relaxed
as follows.
(1) Individual approval applications are now only required to apply for
model approval for standard electric products (they no longer need
to apply for a license on an individual basis).
(2) They are no longer required to install a large shut-off device since
they can instead use a small power shut-off device built into a power
conditioner.
(3) Appointment of a chief electrical engineer for constant monitoring no
longer needs since the system’s safety was confirmed.
Because this was the first PV plant with reverse power flow in private residence. They had to follow
almost the same procedure and protection measures as when an electric power company constructed a
power station.
These new standards
spread around the world.
2-7. Relaxation of the regulations on residential PV systems
©Y.Kuwano 25Ceremony for
20th anniversary
20th anniversary in 2012 (stable PV system with no accident)
©Y.Kuwano 26Ceremony for
25th and 30th anniversaries of
Kuwano’s Solar Power Station
©Y.Kuwano 27Kuwano’s PV Station marked its 30th anniversary
©Y.Kuwano
©Y.Kuwano 28
kWh/month050100150200250
0.4 kW expansion
Since March 1993 Total power generation amount: 44.77 MWh3020010
Cumulative power
generation
amount (MWh)40Year
1) Average yearly degradation rate for 20 years between 1992
and 2012: 0.44%/year
2) Average yearly degradation rate between 2015 and 2021:
5.96%/year
Records of the PV Station for the past 30 years
It was confirmed that solar power
generation has generated power
stably for 30 years.
©Y.Kuwano
Min. Ave. Max.
AMP-06S2 (a-Si): 7 modules 74.7% 80.3% 87.7%
CPS-4516 (AR:ITO): 12 modules 39.4% 51.3% 65.3%
CSP-4516M (AR:SiN): 24 modules 1.5% 67.9% 93.0%
CSP-4533M (AR:ITO): 6 modules 62.0% 70.0% 77.9%291) The a-Si solar cell modules showed less degradation, with
a retention rate of approximately 80%, partly due to the
low initial efficiency.
2) The degradation characteristics of the polycrystalline Si solar
cell modules
(1) one of them maintained an output retention rate of up to 93%.
(2) eight out of 24 panels were able to maintain output exceeding
80% of the initial value.
(3) the average output of all modules was about 68%.
Efficiency change of 38 solar cell modules after 30 years
Initial state
After 30 years
Cross-section view of a module
Refer to the Journal of the Solar Energy Society : https://doi.org/10.24632/jses.50.2._75 301. Japan’s Sunshine Project with a Long-Term and Far-Sighted Perspective
2. R&D and Commercialization of Solar Power Generation in Japan That
Contributed to the World
3. The world is moving towards greater use of renewable energy
4. Let’s Talk About the Future!
Can renewable energy cover the world’s energy needs?
©Y.Kuwano 31有機物系
多接合、集光型
薄膜系
結晶系SiCellefficiency(%)Crystalline Si
Thin-film
Organic
Multi-junction
and concentrator
The conversion efficiency of crystalline Si solar cells, which constitute a main part of commercially available solar
cells, increased from approximately 10% to over 25%.
3-1. Improvements in the efficiency of various solar cells over 50 years
Graph of the maximum conversion efficiency of cells for research based on various solar power generation technologies confirmed in the period from 1976 up to today
This graph shows the conversion efficiency records of cells for research based on five major technologies: crystalline silicon cells, single-junction gallium arsenide cells, multi-junction cells, thin-
film solar cells, and emerging solar cells. The conversion efficiency of all the technologies has increased over the past 50 years. Source: ENREL
Equivalent to
industrial
electricity price
14 yen/kWh
Power
generation cost
(yen/kWh)
Household
electricity price
23 yen/kWh
Equivalent to
power generation
cost for primary
power sources
7 yen/kWh
2013 2015 2020 2025 2030
System example
- Module conversion efficiency: 22%
- System utilization rate: 15%
- Operating years: 25 years
System example
- Module conversion efficiency: 25% or higher
- System utilization rate: 15%
- Operating years: 30 years
Realize by employing new materials, new
structures, and other innovative technologies
Introduction of the results of the R&D of Innovative
Solar Power Generation Technologies and the
development of other new technologies
Realize by combining improving effects and
lowering production costs
Introduction of the results of the Development of Next-
generation High-performance Technologies (until FY2014)
3-2. NEDO PV Challenges
New departure for the development of even lower-cost solar cells
2014 NEDO PV Challenges
©Y.Kuwano32year
3-3. Government support for the expansion of PV system
1) In 1993, Japan’s first subsidy scheme for the residential PV system was
introduced (3.7 million yen/1kW).
2) In 2009, the surplus electricity purchase system was implemented,
subsidies were reinstated, and the PV system became even more
widespread.33Example of solar power generation in a group of stand-alone houses
Total: 2,130 kW, 553 households (3.85 kW/household on average) (Ota City,
Gunma Prefecture)
Source: Photograph provided by Ota City Land Development Corporation
Mega-solar system in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture
(demonstration experiment by NEDO)
©Y.Kuwano
©Y.Kuwano
Salamanca - Spain
Source: Photograph provided by Kyocera34 020406080100120140160
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
国内出荷 輸出
3-4. Japan became the world’s largest producer of solar cells
In 10,000 kW
Decrease due
to cutoff of
subsidies
Due to various
policies, domestic
shipment
increased about
twofold
Rapid increase due
to subsidy system
Source: JPEA
Between the late 1990s and 2005,
Japan boosted the world’s largest production of solar cells.
Domestic shipment
Export
©Y.Kuwano35 1) In Germany, the Renewable Energy Act was enacted to limit global warming.
The feed-in tariff (FIT) system, which involves purchasing electric power from
PV system at three times the normal price, was established.
This system spread across the world.362) This system is intended to promote widespread use of renewable energy by
allowing all people to increase their electricity rates rather than relying on
government subsidies.
3-5. The German Renewable Energy Act was enacted in 2000
©Y.Kuwano Source: each Website. 371,600 MW
Gujarat Solar Park (1,600 MW) in India
©Y.Kuwano
Source: Website.
Source: www.kankyo-business.jp38the World's largest class solar power generation capacity of 1 GW in China
The sight of solar panels stretching out to the horizon is truly spectacular..
©Y.Kuwano 39Source: http://www.su-gomori.com/2011/04/fukushima.html
In the wake of this devastating earthquake, Japan’s new renewable energy feed-in-tariff (FIT)
system, which involved purchasing electric power generated from renewable energy at high
prices, was established in July 2012. This rapidly spread solar cells across Japan.
3-6. Occurrence of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 403-7. The cumulative capacity of PV systems installed in the world exceeded 1 TW
(1,000 GW) in 2022
©Y.Kuwano
出典: 各HP 0102030405060708090
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Up to 92 GWGWYear
Up to approx.
85 GW
Approx.
4.9 GW
Approx.
17 times
100 GW
period2023Preliminary
figures
provided byRTS41
3-8. Changes in the cumulative capacity of PV systems installed in Japan
©Y.Kuwano
Source:IEA PVPS 42Effects of the PV systems of 80 GW
2. The current situation of electric power
in Japan (2022) is as follows.
1) Peak power: 166 million kW1)
2) Total domestic power demand:
Approx. 1 trillion kWh2)
1. According to this output:
1) Peak power: Approx. 64 million kW (80 GW 0.8)
2) Electric power from 80 GW: 8.5 billion kWh
The peak PV systems is
equivalent to 38% of
Japan’s peak power.
Equivalent to approx.
9.9% of the total power
demand3)
1) 2022 data released by the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of
Transmission Operators
2) Data released by the METI (2022 data)
3) https://www.isep.or.jp/archives/library/14364: 2022 data
Figures on the PV systems of 80 GW
©Y.Kuwano 45Crude oil imports reduced by the PV systems of 100 GW
PV systems require no fuel cost and can operate for over20 years.
700 billion yen 20 years = Crude oil import cost of approx. 14
trillion yen can be saved
Capacity of PV
systems installed
100 GW (120 billion kWh)
Reduction in crude oil 30 million KL
Amount of money
saved by reduction
Approx. 700 billion yen
Source: Data provided by JPEA
©Y.Kuwano 443-8. Actions to be taken
by Japan in the future
©Y.Kuwano
Global issues toward realizing a sustainable society
1) In September 2015, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
were adopted.
To realize a sustainable society worldwide, 17 goals and 169 targets
were set to achieve goals such as health and well-being, energy,
climate change, and peaceful society. They are to be completed over
15 years, from 2016 to 2030.45©Y.Kuwano
2) Decisions made in COP26 (held in England in 2012)
(1) Limit global average temperature increase to less than 1.5 degrees above pre-
industrial levels.
(2) Achieve net-zero GHG emissions due to human activities globally in the
second half of this century (carbon neutrality).
* Japan’s targets: By FY2030, Japan aims to reduce GHG emissions by 46%
compared to FY2013 and further strives to reduce them by as high as 50%.
Achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 (energy transformation [EX])
1) Carbon neutral declaration
In his policy speech in October 2020, Prime Minister Suga declared that Japan would, as a nation,
achieve zero GHG emissions by 2050 or aim to realize a carbon-neutral decarbonized society by 2050.
Carbon-neutral declaration made by Prime Minister Suga
in the extraordinary Diet session in October 2020
2) 2) Based on the 2021 "6th Basic Energy Plan" and the "Global Warming Countermeasures Plan,"
the goal is to increase the proportion of renewable energy to 36% to 38% by 2030.46©Y.Kuwano 47Targets to be achieved by the 6th Basic Energy Plan
Renewable energy:9%Nuclear power:25%Hydrogen/
ammonia:0%Fossil thermal
power:65%LNG:29%Petroleum, etc.:9%Coal:28%Renewable energy:
19.8%
Nuclear power:4%Hydrogen/
ammonia:0%Fossil thermal
power:77%LNG:39%Petroleum, etc.:7%Coal:31%Geothermal: 0.3%
Biomass: 2.9%
Wind power: 0.9%
Solar:7.9%Hydraulic power:7.8%Renewable energy:
Approx.
36-38%
Nuclear power:
Approx.
20–22%
Hydrogen/
ammonia:
Approx. 1%
Fossil thermal power:
Approx. 41%LNG:Approx. 20%
Petroleum, etc.:
Approx. 2%
Coal:
Approx. 19%
Geothermal: Approx.1%Biomass:
Approx. 5%
Wind power:
Approx. 5%
Solar:
Approx.
14–16%
Hydraulic power:
Approx. 11%
FY2010 FY2020
(preliminary figures)
FY2030
(forecast)
Amount of power generated: 934 billion kWh
Source: Created by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy based on comprehensive energy
statistics (preliminary figures for FY2020)
* The figures for biomass factor in the ratios of biomass.
* The figures factor in the capacity expired by the revised FIT Act (capacity confirmed as of September
2021).
* The progress ratio to mix for solar power is the progress in capacity from the intermediate value for the
value range indicated as the mix.
(GW) Capacity level
(Sept. 2021)
Capacity before FIT
+ FIT-certified capacity
(Sept. 2021)Mix(FY2030)
Introduction
progress ratio tomix(GW)
Solar
Wind power
Upper: onshore
Lower: offshore
Geo-thermal
Small/
medium-scale
hydraulic
power
Biomass
103.5–
117.6
Approx. 58%
Approx. 19%
Approx. 41%
Approx. 94%
Approx. 66%
©Y.Kuwano 48Data released by METI
Source: Data released by METI
In Japan, solar power generation costs became lower than those for commercial power sources
Changes in solar power generation costs
in Japan and the rest of the world
(Yen/kWh)
Solar power
generation (Japan)
Solar power
generation (World)
First half
of 2021
13.8 yen
8.5 yen
First half of 2021
5.3 yen
Image of the price target
for solar power for businesses
* Created by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy based on
data provided by BloombergNEF. Calculated based on the exchange
rate of 100 yen to the dollar.s
Procurement price based
on the FIT system
FY2022
(procurement
price)
10 yen
Mid- and long-
term power
generation cost
target
7 yen
* The line graph shows the procurement prices determined by METI every fiscal year based on the
opinions of the Calculation Committee for Procurement Prices, etc.
The figure for FY2022 is the procurement price for more than 50 kW of the above.
* The mid- and long-term power production cost target refers to the average power generation cost for
projects to be put into operation in 2025, which is set at 7 yen/kWh. This cost is factored into the
discount rate, which considers funding costs only (3%).
* It is equivalent to the procurement price of 8.5 yen/kWh (internal rate of return (IRR): 5%).
(Yen/kWh)
©Y.Kuwano
The average winning
bid price in the spring
2024 tender fell to
5.11 yen/kWh. 49Review the Sunshine Project and consider the significance of the national project
1) The Sunshine Project, which was developed 50 years ago, achieved its goals and
produced significant results.
This was Japan’s first industry-government-university collaboration project
(involving the industry sector, national research institutes, and universities).
Japan developed and commercialized solar power generation and other renewable energy.
These efforts enabled us to take steps to cope with rising fossil fuel prices and prevent
global warming.
2) These results have been deployed together with the development results in other countries
across the world, contributing significantly to realizing global carbon neutrality.
3) Toward the era of carbon neutrality, new national goals were set and
efforts to move R&D and commercialization forward were started.
©Y.Kuwano
Take advantage of innovative technologies to reduce the cost of supplying hydrogen to the same level
as other existing energy by 2050 and use lower-cost hydrogen to produce ammonia fuel50Building supply chains that reduce the hydrogen cost to 1/5 through innovation
1) These figures assume the advantage of scale following the smooth implementation of new
technologies in society, significant reductions in renewable energy prices, and the creation of a
market with a good demand and supply balance.
2) It is necessary to keep in mind changes in the costs of competing technologies.Costof
supplying
hydrogen
(yen/Nm3)
Advancement of research and development
◆だいやまーく Development of hydrogen supply technology
Up to 100 yen/Nm3
The cost of supplying hydrogen depends on the volume
or the transportation distance.
Here, the cost is temporarily set at 100 yen/Nm3, the
sales price at hydrogen stations.
Advancement of new research and development
◆だいやまーく Alkaline water electrolysis
◆だいやまーく Solid polymer membrane water electrolysis
◆だいやまーく High-temperature water vapor electrolysis
◆だいやまーく Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis, etc.
◆だいやまーく Reversible solid oxide electrolysis cell
◆だいやまーく Direct methane decomposition
Demonstration of new technologies
◆だいやまーく Building of Japan-Australia supply chain
◆だいやまーく Building of Japan-Brunei supply chain
◆だいやまーく Generation of hydrogen from renewable energy sources
in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture
◆だいやまーく Development of P2G system technology in Yamanashi
Prefecture
◆だいやまーく Reduction of costs of constructing and operating
hydrogen stations
30 yen/Nm3
Cost at time of delivery to plant
Implement new technologies in society
and promote their widespread use
20 yen/Nm3 Cost at time of delivery to plant
Reduce the cost of producing
hydrogen to less than one-tenth or
the levels equivalent to the costs
for existing energy sources.
Decade
Achieve a reduction to
less than 1/5 to 1/10 of
the current level
©Y.Kuwano 511. Japan’s Sunshine Project with a Long-Term and Far-Sighted Perspective
2. R&D and Commercialization of Solar Power Generation in Japan That
Contributed to the World
3. Expansion of Solar Power and Other Renewable Energy in Japan
4. Let’s Talk About the Future!
Can renewable energy cover the world’s energy needs?
©Y.Kuwano 52Can renewable energy cover the world’s energy needs?
4. Let’s Talk About the Future!
©Y.Kuwano 53GENESIS
(Global Energy Network Equipped with Solar
Cells and International Superconductor Grids)
Announced in 1989
35 years ago
4-1. The global solar power generation system of solar cells and
superconducting cables covers the world’s energy needs with PV system
©Y.Kuwano
©Y.Kuwano 54
2000 2010 2050 2100
Worldwide energy
consumption estimate
(crude oil equivalent
100 million kl/year)
110 140 350 1,110
Conversion efficiency of
solar cell systems (%) 10 10 15 15
Area to be carpeted
with solar cell
systems
(km2)729802
(4% of entire
desert area)
1,030 1,850544% of global
desert area
By carpeting an area equivalent to only 4% of the global desert area with solar
cells, the energy necessary for all human beings can be covered.
4-2. Worldwide energy consumption estimates and areas to be carpeted with solar cell systems
@Y.Kuwano 55Country network
Global network
Local network
Solar cell
array
Residences
Solar cell panels
GENESIS
U.S.A.
JapanAsiaEurope
The GENESIS Plan is based on the idea that by installing PV systems on the roofs of households, buildings, and
factories one after another until an area equivalent to only 4% of the global desert area is carpeted with solar cells,
the energy necessary for all human beings can be covered.
4-3. Step in the GENESIS Project
©Y.Kuwano
1) Using electricity generated from PV systems or other renewable energy sources, water is electrolyzed to produce
hydrogen, which is then reacted with nitrogen in the air to produce ammonia (NH3), which can be used as liquid fuel.
2) Based on calculations in the Genesis Project, it is predicted that the electricity conversion efficiency from sunlight is
about 10%, the conversion efficiency of using that electricity to produce hydrogen from water is about 70%, and the
efficiency of reacting this hydrogen with nitrogen to synthesize ammonia is 50%.
4-4. Ultimate energy for human beings
Non-fossil
power sources
water
electrolysis+Synthetic
ammonia fuel, etc.
Hydrogen, etc.
Power generation sector
Transportation sector
Residential and commercial sectors
Industry sector
©Y.Kuwano56The area of solar power generation needed to produce the energy needed to manufacture ammonia, a new fuel
that would meet all of the energy needs of all of humanity, would be the size of about 12% of the world's desert,
which is feasible.
PV conversion efficiency is10% The efficiency of reacting this hydrogen
with nitrogen to synthesize ammonia is 50%.
The efficiency of using that electricity to produce
hydrogen from water is about 70%,
©Y.Kuwano 57