Power to the ponds. Authorities in Kagawa, a prefecture known for its abundance of ponds, are dreaming of literally empowering the many bodies of water in the prefecture by using them to generate electricity.
The idea, the brainchild of Kagawa solar power enthusiasts, has turned into an experiment where the prefecture, acting together with the town of Nagao and Kawasaki Steel Corp., has installed a floating solar panel on a pond in the prefectural Kametsuru park in Nagao.
The solar panel, which measures 5 sq. meters, has a maximum generating capacity of 2.6 kw.
Whenever the panel yields more than 0.4 kw, it activates a fountain in the pond and sends any excess electricity to the city grid under a resale agreement with Shikoku Electric Power Co.
The experiment began in late March. In one month, the solar panel generated enough power to meet half a month of the electricity needs for an average family.
Project supporters say they plan to gather more data on how the solar panel functions under various weather conditions. If the operation proves feasible, Kagawa officials say they hope to turn the electricity to public use, such as purifying lake water.
A Kagawa official called the "power-to-the-pond" experiment educational. "I think we can use it to educate people about the use of energy. If the solar panel works, we hope to build some in other prefectural facilities," he said.