The company said that the project will contribute to its efforts to support the adoption of sustainable power supplies worldwide.
Mitsubishi Electric will build experimental facilities at its three Japanese domestic production sites located in Amagasaki, Wakayama and Ofuna. The facilities will all be connected by a wide-area communication network and be remotely monitored.
At the Amagasaki site, located in Hyogo Prefecture, the company will install a 4MW photovoltaic system, a 500kW rechargeable battery for transmission purposes, a power system simulator, power system stabilizer, 150 smart meters, an electric vehicle charging station and other related equipment.
Advance metering infrastructure, advanced energy management and distribution automation system will monitor and operate the assets and equipment. The total system will be used to demonstrate the benefit of smart grid technologies in each sector of the electricity industry, the company said.
The company will also install a 200kW photovoltaic system at its Wakayama site, located in Wakayama Prefecture, and a demonstration facility at its Ofuna site, located in Kanagawa Prefecture.
To demonstrate optimal energy management in private residences, the facility in Ofuna will feature a residential photovoltaic system, appliances for all-electric homes, smart meter, home-gateway and other network-connected equipment.
By March 2011, Mitsubishi Electric plans to equip each site with the components and build systems required for the company to begin basic experiments. By March 2012, the company plans to conduct full-fledged experiments, including analysis of power supply when electricity generated from renewable energy sources flows into power grids.
Mitsubishi Electric aims to market smart grid related products and systems in near future, the company said.
