Solar energy is increasingly attractive as a clean, inexhaustible energy source that does not contribute to global warming. Practical photovoltaic power generation systems have been developed in Japan under the Ministry of International Trade andIndustry's Sunshine Plan, and these systems have met most of their development goals, although their cost remains high. Matsushita Electric Works has developed building materials with integrated solar cell modules under contract to the MITI's New Energyand Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and has supplied these products to other companies for several years. In Sept. '97, the company began to develop photovoltaic roof tiles, power conditioners and other components required toconstruct a complete photovoltaic power generation system, and began marketing these systems in July '98. This report describes the features of this original photovoltaic power generation system.
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