Abandoned Golf Course in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan to Be Repurposed with 23-Megawatt Solar Power Plant from KYOCERA TCL Solar LLC

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO)(TOKYO:6971) announced today that Kyocera TCL Solar LLC, its joint venture with Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation (President: Shunichi Asada; herein “Century Tokyo Leasing”), has commenced construction of a 23-megawatt (MW) solar power plant on an abandoned golf course in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The plant will generate an estimated 26,312 megawatt hours (MWh) per year — enough electricity to power approximately 8,100 typical local households*1.

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Planned project site of the 23MW solar power plant in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (Photo: Business Wire)

In addition to this project, Kyocera and Century Tokyo Leasing, along with two other companies, recently announced that it is also developing a 92MW solar power plant at a site in Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan which was originally designated for golf course use more than 30 years ago but subsequently abandoned. In the United States, several cities in states such as Florida, Utah, Kansas and Minnesota are having public discussion and considering proposals on how best to repurpose closed golf courses. Overdevelopment of golf properties during the real-estate boom of the 1990’s and 2000’s has led to hundreds of idle courses today that are now under analysis for repurposing or redevelopment. Many of these properties are now being reconsidered as sites for new housing development, parkland and a wide range of other commercial uses, including solar farms. Solar can provide a particularly productive and environmentally friendly use for defunct golf courses, which are characterized by expansive land mass, high sun exposure, and a low concentration of shade trees.

The new plant will become the largest*2 solar power installation in Japan’s Kyoto Prefecture. The site is located in Fushimi Ward, where Kyocera established its first major solar energy research center in the mid-1970s. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Kyocera’s entry into the solar energy business.

Through projects like this, Kyocera hopes to contribute to the expansion of renewable energy and the development of a sustainable, low-carbon society.

Project Overview

        
      
      
        
          Location
        
        
           
        
        
          Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
        
      
      
        
          Operation
        
        
        
        
          Kyocera TCL Solar LLC
        
      
      
        
          Design & construction
        
        
        
        
          Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd.
        
      
      
        
          Output
        
        
        
        
          Approx. 23MW
        
      
      
        
          Solar modules
        
        
        
        
          270-watt Kyocera modules (Approx. 90,000 modules in total)
        
      
      
        
          

Expected annual powergeneration

Approx. 26,312MWh/yearElectricity generated will be sold to the local utility (The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.) through Japan’s feed-in-tariff system.

        
      
      
        
          Project timeline
        
        
           
        
        
          

June 28, 2015: Start of constructionSeptember 2017: Start of operation (planned)

*1 Based on average annual use of 3,254.4kWh per household. Source: Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (Graphical Flip-chart of Nuclear & Energy Related Topics 2015)*2 Largest operating solar power plant in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Research by Kyocera (as of June1, 2015).

About KYOCERA

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO)(TOKYO:6971) (http://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of solar power generating systems, mobile phones, printers, copiers, electronic components, semiconductor packages, cutting tools and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2015, the company’s net sales totaled 1.53 trillion yen (approx. USD12.7 billion). Kyocera appears on the latest listing of the “Top 100 Global Innovators” by Thomson Reuters, and is ranked #552 on Forbes magazine’s 2015 “Global 2000” listing of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.

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KYOCERA Corporation (Japan)Hina Morioka, [phone]Corporate CommunicationsFax: +81-(0)[e-mail]://global.kyocera.com/