What did I see from the train in Japan?
September 18, 2024 6:31 AM Subscribe
On the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka on the mountain side of the train I saw a really unusual structure/building sitting in a field seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The structure itself looked like a skyscraper sized slice of a melon, crescent shaped and completely black in color, and sitting on a large base. What is that?
In front of the structure was an array of solar panels. It sat horizontal but must have been at least ten football fields in length and maybe 300 meters tall. I have never seen anything like it and could not imagine its purpose. The black covering on the outside may have been a mesh. Does anyone know what that is?
In front of the structure was an array of solar panels. It sat horizontal but must have been at least ten football fields in length and maybe 300 meters tall. I have never seen anything like it and could not imagine its purpose. The black covering on the outside may have been a mesh. Does anyone know what that is?
Here is a guy making a video about it back when it was the Sanyo solar ark. He suggests it was built in 2001.
posted by rongorongo at 6:53 AM on September 18 [1 favorite]
posted by rongorongo at 6:53 AM on September 18 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: That looks like it but it was a little different in my memory, in a more remote region and without any signage. Is there more than one? Maybe I was seeing the back because I saw no roads near it.
posted by Stanczyk at 6:56 AM on September 18
posted by Stanczyk at 6:56 AM on September 18
The Solar Ark has been sold to developers and will likely be demolished. In advance of that, the signage has been removed and surrounding buildings demolished, which might explain the difference between what you saw recently and the older photos and videos.
posted by Busy Old Fool at 8:39 AM on September 18 [2 favorites]
posted by Busy Old Fool at 8:39 AM on September 18 [2 favorites]
Here is its Wikipedia page.
The information I was interested in was about the extent to which advances in solar panel technology since 2001 have reduced the amount of area needed to generate the same power. Given that solar power production was stopped at the site in 2022 - I would say the difference is probably substantial.
posted by rongorongo at 1:23 AM on September 19
The information I was interested in was about the extent to which advances in solar panel technology since 2001 have reduced the amount of area needed to generate the same power. Given that solar power production was stopped at the site in 2022 - I would say the difference is probably substantial.
posted by rongorongo at 1:23 AM on September 19
Response by poster: Also, thank you for not taking me at my word. I clearly have no idea how big a meter or football field really is.
posted by Stanczyk at 4:04 PM on September 19
posted by Stanczyk at 4:04 PM on September 19
>I clearly have no idea how big a meter or football field really is.
In the late 90s, solar panels were about 14% efficient - the latest ones, I believe, are closer to 40% - so a structure that required 3 football pitches of length to churn out 530,000 kilowatt-hours - now only would need to be about 1 pitch long.
( I was also gazing out of the left hand side of a north moving Kyoto Tokyo shinkanzen last week -but apparently too fixated on trying to spot a cloud-enveloped Mr Fuji to notice a giant solar ark flying past)
posted by rongorongo at 4:18 AM on September 20 [1 favorite]
In the late 90s, solar panels were about 14% efficient - the latest ones, I believe, are closer to 40% - so a structure that required 3 football pitches of length to churn out 530,000 kilowatt-hours - now only would need to be about 1 pitch long.
( I was also gazing out of the left hand side of a north moving Kyoto Tokyo shinkanzen last week -but apparently too fixated on trying to spot a cloud-enveloped Mr Fuji to notice a giant solar ark flying past)
posted by rongorongo at 4:18 AM on September 20 [1 favorite]
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posted by emmling at 6:40 AM on September 18 [8 favorites]