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At any given time, an astounding amount
of solar energy, some 175 billion gigawatts, hits the Earth. Although some is
reflected back into space and some absorbed by the atmosphere, the amount of energy
reaching the surface is vastly beyond human needs.
As concern over global warming and rising oil prices mounts, the race is on to
find ways of harnessing this clean energy source cheaply and efficiently. Although
solar, or photovoltaic (PV), power generation cannot yet replace fossil fuels,
the technology is rapidly advancing. Every year, important steps are being taken
to lower unit production costs and raise conversion efficiency and output.
The 1st International Photovoltaic Power Generation
Expo (PV EXPO 2008), organized by Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd. and held February
27–29, 2008 at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center, showcased the very
latest technologies in this booming field. |
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The sold-out event, in
which 301 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions shared 11,520 m2
of floor space, attracted over 27,000 industry professionals from all over the
world.
Among the exhibitors were Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries (MHI), Mitsubishi Materials and Mitsubishi
Cable Industries. MHI showed two new high-performance photovoltaic modules:
one amorphous silicon thin-film module with a power output 10% above that of standard
crystalline silicon types; and one micromorph tandem-type module with 11% conversion
efficiency.
Mitsubishi Materials, meanwhile, demonstrated a range of advanced materials capable
of raising the performance of photovoltaic modules, for instance by improving
the conductivity of connecting nodes and controlling power surges. Mitsubishi
Cable Industries showcased a wide variety of components related to photovoltaic
production, including seal products for solar cell manufacturing machinery. |
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PV EXPO 2008, Japan’s first
major business event focused on the photovoltaic industry, was combined with conference
sessions featuring plenty of networking opportunities and speeches by key industry
figures. Nearly 4,000 people attended these sessions.
After the sensational debut of the 2008 event, Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd. is
now organizing the 2nd International Photovoltaic Power Generation Expo (PV EXPO
2009), to be held February 25–27, 2009 in Tokyo Big Sight’s West Halls
1 and 2, where 1.5 times more exhibition space will be available. With more than
160 companies left on the waiting list for PV EXPO 2008, the 2009 exhibition will
gather up to 400 exhibitors from around the world for another dazzling display
of innovative energy. |
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At a time of growing international
efforts to combat global warming, Mitsubishi Materials is implementing
a wide-ranging management plan for its corporate forest holdings. Under this plan,
launched in April 2005, the company is using its extensive forest properties as
a CO2 sink, and stepping up its land, water and
biodiversity conservation activities.
Mitsubishi Materials has managed forest since
the 19th century, when it used forests around its facilities for mine timber and
charcoal fuel. Today, the company owns some 14,513 hectares, making it one of
Japan’s largest forest owners. |
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About 51% of this property,
which is mostly located on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, consists
of tree plantations.
Mitsubishi Materials has actively worked with local communities to promote environmental
rehabilitation. Initiatives here include a large-scale tree-planting festival
at the company’s smelter in Kagawa Prefecture in March 2006, where some
1,400 people gathered to plant a total of 20,000 saplings from 39 indigenous species.
Under the forest management plan, Mitsubishi Materials is now stepping up such
initiatives. To devise more effective conservation measures, the company has drawn
from research by Professor Akira Miyawaki, Professor Emeritus at Yokohama National
University and a leading authority on plant ecology whom the company invited in
January 2006 to study the impact of smoke and other effects of smelting on surrounding
forests. |
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The Internet is a rapid
and cost-effective means to conduct surveys. An Internet research service named
“goo Research” combines the resources of NTT Resonant, operator of
the popular Japanese goo web portal, with the research planning and consulting
capabilities of the Mitsubishi Research Institute, one of Japan’s
leading think tanks.
In February 2008, goo Research released a milestone reader survey of environmental
and social reports, known as sustainability reports or corporate social responsibility
(CSR) reports. The findings are summarized here: |
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45.8% of respondents are aware of
or have read CSR reports, while almost one-half were unaware that such reports
existed. |
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At 45.5%, the most common problem
was that it was not easy to compare companies’ CSR reports. Also, compared
with a survey held in 2000, the percentage of respondents complaining about too-technical
terminology in the reports rose by 21.2%. |
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The primary environmental problem
for general consumers was global warming, at 81.6%. This high percentage resulted
from frequent news coverage of environmental issues, as well as news about this
year’s G8 summit at Japan’s Toya Lake. Compared with the 2005 survey,
the percentage among single women below 30 rose by 17.5%. The younger generation
is clearly increasingly concerned about global warming. |
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The world market for solar, or photovoltaic,
power is growing at a phenomenal rate. Between 2004 and 2007, worldwide annual
photovoltaic power generation grew more than threefold to approximately 3.5 GW,
and it is expected to grow by about 40% annually. In response, Asahi Glass
will now invest ¥13 billion (US$127.4 million) in enhancing its glass production
for photovoltaic modules.
At present, crystal silicon solar cells are
most common. In these, the silicon is protected by special cover glass that reduces
sunlight reflections through etched-in bas-relief patterns. Asahi Glass will build
a new furnace for such cover glass in Suzhou, China, adding to production facilities
in the U.S., Belgium and the Philippines. The new furnace, capable of producing
240 tons/day, or 7 million m2/year, will start mass production in mid-2009.
The company will also expand its capacity in the growing area of thin-film solar
cells, which are coated with a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) that conducts
electricity.
Asahi Glass manufactures TCO glass substrates in the U.S. and Thailand, and applies
coatings in the U.S. and Japan (at the Aichi Plant, Aichi Prefecture). Now, it
will substantially expand its TCO coating line at the Aichi plant, as well as
launch TCO substrate production in Europe. The new coating line will start in
late 2008 and have a capacity of 6 million m2/year.
Under its medium-term plan JIKKO-2010, Asahi Glass aims to raise the sales of
its solar cell glass business to ¥60 billion by fiscal 2010, up from ¥12
billion in fiscal 2007. |
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Under the dual pressures
of global warming and rising raw material prices, the need to boost the fuel efficiency
of merchant ships has become greater than ever.
Changing
and slimming the shape of the hull only works to a certain extent, as there is
a limitation as to how high cargo can be stacked. Instead, more substantial fuel
savings can be achieved by eliminating the efficiency-reducing swirls occurring
just ahead of the propeller, and thereby improve the flow of the water. |
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An
affiliate company of the NYK Group, Monohakobi Technology Institute,
has now, together with Tsuneishi Holdings Corporation, developed such a fuel-saving
device, called MT-FAST (patent pending). Experiments have shown that the device,
a so-called pre-swirl stator that is attached just ahead of the propeller, can
reduce fuel usage by about 4%. Importantly, MT-FAST is not only for new ships,
it can also be retroactively fitted to existing ones.
With
the patent pending, the NYK Group plans to fit the first MT-FAST to a wood-chip
carrier that will start operating from June. After that, NYK will fit the fuel-saving
appendage to other NYK and NYK Group bulk carriers. By analyzing and recording
the fuel-saving effects of the appendage during actual sea voyages, NYK will work
toward further improvements of the device. |
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