Yokohama to put solar panels on 200 city schools (May.29)
The Yomiuri Shimbun
YOKOHAMA–The Yokohama municipal government plans to install solar panels at 200 municipal primary and middle schools–40 percent of all the city-run schools–during this academic year.
According to the Education, Science and Technology Ministry, the project will be the largest of its kind to cover schools in the country. The municipal government aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions per citizen by 30 percent from the level of fiscal 2004 by fiscal 2025, and hopes to install solar panels at all municipal schools in future.
According to the municipal government, it will install one solar panel capable of generating 10 kilowatts per hour–about three times the amount used by an average household–at each school.
One solar panel will be capable of generating electricity for about 50 40-watt bulbs, which is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 5 tons per year, equivalent to the amount of CO2 emitted from one citizen.
According to the ministry, about 1,200 public primary and middle schools nationwide had installed solar panels as of April. On average, fewer than 10 schools per municipality have installed solar panels, while in Yokohama, 28 municipal primary, middle and high schools are already equipped with solar panels.
(May. 29, 2009) Daily Yomiuri
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