Kyocera Corporation leads Japan’s industry in many aspects – to become more sustainable, its subsidiary Kyocera Communication Systems Co. supplied two solar-powered recharging stations in Kyotango city, Kyoto Prefecture for electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) to use.

Kyocera’s solar-powered recharging station system was first developed in 2010 for electric-assisted bicycles which using the company’s in-house high efficiency PV panels. On the basis of this system, Kyocera further developed solar recharging station system for EVs and PHVs in 2012, and hence made solar technology more visible, familiar and ubiquitous to the Japanese. Such product also contributes to a more sustainable future.

It is estimated that over 740,000 electric cars running around the world, and the U.S., Japan and China are the top-three markets. Japan aims to increase the ratio of EVs and PHEVs to 15~20% by 2020, said METI, Japan in a line of information issued in March, 2015, which means that it is time for promoting charging facilities for these next-generation vehicles.

Originated in Kyoto, one of the oldest cities in Japan, Kyocera partnered with Kyotango City and added the solar-powered recharging stations at multiple convenient sites for tourists and local residents to charge their owned or rented EVs and PHEVs. Each of the two stations, which were installed by Ostem Co., Ltd., include a 3.2kW Kyocera solar power generating system, standard charger, 30kW Nichicon quick charger and 7.2kW Nichicon battery storage system. They are completely power independent so that they are environmentally-friendly to the earth.

The stations are equipped with LED lighting and disaster control boxes which include an emergency power strip, radio, flashlight and work gloves so that the stations will be able to work normally even under emergency situations.

Normally, electricity generated by the solar panels assists the commercial grid in powering the standard charger, and is also sent to the storage system for LED lighting at night. In times of disaster, the solar-generated electricity saved in the storage system powers the disaster control box in addition to powering LEDs at night. By operating off-grid during disasters, the stations will enable the community to charge devices such as mobile phones during power outages.

Kyocera is now tuning the third recharging station in the same city and expects to have it operational by January 2016.

(Photo Credit: Kyocera)