The Hokuto mega-solar project

Solar generation systems are one of the measures for reducing global warming. An installed capacity target of solar generation systems in our country will be set 4.82 GW in 2010, while the total installed capacity is still 1.92 GW in 2007. About 80% of the systems are mainly residential use and each is very small. Constructions of some large-scale solar generation systems will be expected and intensive development of related technologies are urgent. The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) advertised for consignment research business “Verification of Grid Stabilization with Large-scale Photovoltaic (PV) Power Generation Systems” in 2006. The verification tests are carried out in two sites of Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture and Wakkanai City, Hokkaido. The outlines and the developing targets and some of studying results of the Hokuto mega-solar project (HMSP) are introduced in this paper.