Unused space on highways in Japan to be rented out to generate solar power

Expressway companies in Japan plan to rent out unoccupied space on their superhighways, like those on sound-insulating walls, throughout the country for utility companies to generate solar power.
January 26, 2012 Read time: 1 min

Expressway companies in Japan plan to rent out unoccupied space on their superhighways, like those on sound-insulating walls, throughout the country for utility companies to generate solar power. Due to an expected rise in the demand for space to install solar panels, the expressway companies are expected to lease out the unoccupied expressway areas on a wide scale. Among the targeted areas for the planned rental service could be on highways in areas between cities, where sunlight is available for long hours.

The move follows the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry's planned system, under which electric power companies will purchase all renewable energy produced by corporations and households. Under the plan, the ministry will rent out roadside embankments, soundproof walls and other unused space on the highway system throughout the country to Kyocera, Toshiba, Sharp and other solar power generation companies. The full plan is scheduled to be unveiled in fiscal 2012.

Related Content

  • New approach to data handling aids development of smarter cities
    January 11, 2013
    David Crawford has been to the Irish capital to see a potent memorandum of understanding at work. An imaginative collaboration between the world’s largest IT company and one of Europe’s smaller capital cities is demonstrating a new approach to data handling that could have far reaching implications for urban public transport worldwide. A close working relationship between IBM and Dublin City Council (DCC) dates from 2010. The IT giant was looking for a local transport authority as partner for testing IBM’s
    Read More
  • New approach to data handling aids development of smarter cities
    January 14, 2013
    David Crawford has been to the Irish capital to see a potent memorandum of understanding at work. An imaginative collaboration between the world’s largest IT company and one of Europe’s smaller capital cities is demonstrating a new approach to data handling that could have far reaching implications for urban public transport worldwide. A close working relationship between IBM and Dublin City Council (DCC) dates from 2010.
    Read More
  • EV charging station market in the US has grown immensely
    July 27, 2012
    New analysis from Frost & Sullivan says that the electric vehicle (EV) charging station market in North America has grown immensely, helped along by favourable government level (federal, state and municipal) incentives and subsidies for the purchase of EVs. The government is extending these plans to the installation of charging station and funding programmes such as ECOtality's EV project, which is trying to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure in six major states.
    Read More
  • Smart Spanish city trials cell-based traffic management
    November 7, 2013
    David Crawford reports on an urban electronic nervous system. The northern Spanish city of Santander – historically a port - is now an emerging technology showcase attracting global attention as a prototype for a medium-sized smart city of the future. In a move to determine the optimal use of available data, it is creating a de-facto experimental laboratory for sensor and mobile phone-based urban traffic management and environmental monitoring innovations.
    Read More

Highlighted Content