Work has begun in Japan on what is expected to be the world’s largest floating solar farm, according to Japanese electronics
firm Kyocera, which is spearheading the effort. Japan is facing an increasing need for alternate forms of energy following the 2011 disaster at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Land is inherently in short supply, which is why the country is keen on developing floating solar plants. Although water and electricity can make for a dangerous combination, the technology to build atop water is not particularly challenging, industry analysts say, but it is more expensive than building terrestrial solar farms. The power plant is being built on a reservoir in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture, not far from Tokyo. It is expected to produce enough power for 5,000 households when completed in two years.
Rendition of solar farm on reservoir outside Tokyo