Sekisui Chemical and TERRA recently announced that they have commenced the first joint demonstration test in Japan to install film-type perovskite solar cells for agrivoltaics (solar sharing) at Sosa City, Chiba Prefecture on August 2, 2024.
Sekisui Chemical has created a 30 cm-wide roll-to-roll manufacturing process utilizing its original “sealing, film formation, materials and process technology,” and has reportedly confirmed 10 years equivalent of outdoor durability, which is critical to the development of film-type perovskite solar cells. Furthermore, this manufacturing process has been successfully used to produce film-type perovskite solar cells with a power generation efficiency of 15.0%. Development is being accelerated to further improve durability and power generation efficiency, as well as to establish manufacturing technology for 1 m-wide rolls.
TERRA is a company that specializes in agrivoltaics (solar sharing) and engages in in-house power generation, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), consulting, and component development. It also collaborates with its group company Citizen Energy Chiba as the pioneering companies in agrivoltaics (solar sharing) to cooperate with Patagonia International Japan Branch, SAZABY LEAGUE and J. LEAGUE to actively pursue initiatives toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Chiba Prefecture’s Sosa City was selected as a Decarbonization Leading Area by the Ministry of the Environment and TERRA is also a participant in those initiatives. At the same time, TERRA also works on creating various projects across Japan. Focusing on a comprehensive view of environmental issues, it has an established reputation in proposing systems founded on improving agricultural management, and also engages in business in the sixth industry ( the use of regional resources by operators in agriculture, forestry, and fishery sectors for proactive efforts in processing, distribution and retail) - such as Solar Beer “SORA ALE ”.
TERRA has rights over the patent held by Citizen Energy Chiba for a module with a lens-shaped cross section based on perovskite solar cells. Thinking that it is possible to introduce film-type and curved lens-type perovskite solar cells to agrivoltaics (solar sharing) by using the expertise accumulated so far, including the design of ultra-slim structures and anchoring methods, TERRA decided to embark on this demonstration test toward installation of film-type perovskite solar cells.
Through the installation of film-type perovskite solar cells, data that is useful for agrivoltaics — such as the power generation efficiency of curved surfaces in lens-shaped modules and growth environment of agricultural crops — will be collected and verified.
The demonstration will be held at Iizuka, Sosa City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It will include:
・Establishment of film-type perovskite solar cell installation method for agrivoltaics (solar sharing)
・Measurement of power generation efficiency of curved surfaces in lens-shaped modules and comparison of predicted and actual values
・Investigation of impact to agricultural crops being grown under equipment for agrivoltaics (solar sharing)
In conventional agrivoltaics solar power generation systems, there were issues in areas such as workability, including wind load and balancing the center of gravity to support the weight of the solar cells and mounts. Demonstration will aim to verify mount configuration and workability using the lightweight characteristics of perovskite solar cells.
Sekisui Chemical and TERRA will contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society through joint development that includes establishing a method for introducing renewable energy into agrivoltaics through this demonstration test, deployment of agrivoltaics to cultivated land—including paddy fields—nationwide in Japan, further expanding its application scope in the agricultural field, and using perovskite solar cells on idle and abandoned agricultural land.
