Japan: JinkoSolar, ENEOS to build gas station PV power plant

Solar modules will be installed on the roof of gas stations connected to a cloud-based distributed power plant to tailor the supply and demand of electricity.

JinkoSolar Holding Co., one of the largest solar module manufacturers in the world, will co-operate with ENEOS Corporation, Japan's largest oil refiner, on the provision of solar modules for a Virtual Power Plant project. For this initiative, JinkoSolar's monocrystalline products will be deployed and installed on the roof of gas stations connected to a cloud-based distributed power plant, and will become the first VPP project of JinkoSolar in Japan.

A VPP integrates a pool of independent power sources into a power network and their aggregated assets are used to tailor the supply and demand of electricity, explains a company’s press release. On this project, the VPP consists of JinkoSolar's solar modules installed on the rooftops of several gas stations that are linked in clusters to the charge/discharge cycle of the storage system.

“This co-operation shows that traditional oil and gas energy companies are gradually transforming their business models and expanding the use of renewable energy. It also demonstrates how traditional energy and new energy can co-exist, leading to a progressive move from a fossil energy era to a new energy era,” commented Chief Executive Officer of JinkoSolar, Mr. Kangping Chen.

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