Solar Power Generation System at Kunijima Purification Plant

As a concrete measure pursuant to the Osaka Municipal Environment Fundamental Plan outlining the city’s basic policies concerning environmental conservation and the creation of an environmentally-friendly city under the Osaka Municipal Basic Fundamental Ordinance, a solar power generation system with a maximum output capacity of 150 kW was installed at the Kunijima Purification Plant in March 1999 in order to promote utilization of energy that is friendly to the global environment.

Consisting of 1,104 solar panels laid over the service reservoir, this power generation system usually provides the electric power required to operate the advanced water treatment facility.

The annual power production of the solar power generation system is approximately 150,000 kWh, equivalent to the electricity consumed annually by around 40 households, and reduces carbon dioxide emissions, which cause global warming, by approximately 50 tons (its emission coefficient is 0.357 kg CO2/kWh).

The system also includes a battery type accumulator and an emergency water supply system so that it can feed water into water supply trucks even in the event of an extended power failure or other emergency conditions.

Half of the system construction cost was subsidized by the Japanese Government.