Kyocera PV project in Switzerland wins 2012 Swiss Solar Prize

On February 20th, 2013, Kyocera Corp. (Kyoto, Japan) announced that a 3 kilowatt (kW) solar energy system, comprising Kyocera’s photovoltaic (PV) modules has been awarded with the 2012 Swiss Solar Prize.

The PV system, installed on the roof of the “Quimby Huus”, is generating solar power for 10 inhabitants of the institution for physically disabled persons in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

The 12 Kyocera solar PV modules will generate 3,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar power each year - enough to power the residents' electric wheelchairs without creating any carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The project was fully funded by sponsors. The environmentally-friendly power enables the residents to travel about 1,500 kilometers (km) per year in their wheelchairs, fuelled solely by the sun's energy.