Solar Thermal Power Day

What Is Solar Thermal Power Day?

August 6th is "Solar Thermal Power Day" in Japan, commemorating the day in 1981 when the world's first solar thermal power generation took place at the Electric Power Development Company's Nio Solar Thermal Test Plant in Nio Town (now Mitoyo City), Kagawa Prefecture.

What Exactly Is Solar Thermal Power Generation?

Unlike solar photovoltaic power, which converts sunlight directly into electricity, solar thermal power generation uses the sun's heat energy to generate power.

• How it worked: flat mirrors concentrated solar heat onto a collector atop a 60-meter tower, using that heat to generate electricity
• The background: conducted as part of the "Sunshine Project," a national initiative to develop new energy sources following the 1970s oil crises
• Its challenges: the Nio area lacked sufficient sunlight, limiting output to around 1,000 kilowatts, and the experiment ended in 1985

What the Experiment Left Behind

While the Nio Solar Thermal Test Plant's experiment can't be called a major success in terms of scale, the fact that it conducted the world's first demonstration of solar thermal power generation became one of the foundations for later renewable energy research.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Learn about the difference between solar thermal and solar photovoltaic power generation
• Learn about the "Sunshine Project," Japan's energy policy following the oil crisis
• Learn about the development of renewable energy technology today
• Think about everyday products that harness sunlight or solar heat

A Challenge Toward Solar Energy, Spurred by the Oil Crisis

The 1980s pursuit of energy independent of oil may have been small in scale, but it marked an important step in Japan's energy policy. Let August 6th be a day to reflect on the history of this pioneering experiment to turn the sun's blessing into electricity.