The order is said to be the first that Toshiba has secured for a microgrid and smart grid system. The Miyako Island verification process will be carried out under ‘Fiscal 2009 verification of stand-alone new energy systems on remote islands,’ a project supported by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy in Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The process will aim to understand the impact of integrating large-scale renewable energy sources into a transmission and distribution system and investigate power system operation and stabilization.
The testing will focus on the performance of next generation supervisory control systems for supply and demand management in smart grid systems, including the µEMS (micro energy management system) for renewable energy sources.
As prime contractor for the project, Toshiba will be responsible for all engineering work prior to the start of construction, and procurement of major equipment and components, such as supervisory control system and rechargeable batteries, and the construction of a photovoltaic power generation system with a rated output of 4MW.
The variable output of the photovoltaic cells will be converted to clean AC by integrated power conditioners developed by Toshiba. These have a conversion efficiency of 97.5%. The photovoltaic modules used will be polycrystalline solar panels sourced primarily from Sharp Corporation, plus other suppliers.
Toshiba will promote business expansion of smart grid systems by utilizing its existing sales channels, the company said.
