Nichicon Corporation will install an electric vehicle charging station that utilizes solar power generation and storage functions in Nishikyogoku Sports Park in Kyoto City.  The system consists of solar power generation equipment with energy storage functions and electric vehicle charging equipment. 

The system has made it possible to generate carbon-emission-free clean energy to charge electric vehicles even on rainy days and at night.  The energy storage unit adopts a hybrid power storage bank comprised of lithium ion batteries and Nichicon’s electric double-layer capacitors “EVerCAP”.  Electric double-layer capacitors “EVerCAP” have lower resistance than lithium ion batteries and can store electricity efficiently with respect to fluctuations in solar power generation output due to changes in the weather.  Compared to lithium ion batteries whose electrodes undergo chemical reactions, electric double-layer capacitors are distinctive for their minimal characteristic degradation as a result of their charge-discharge reactions being limited to adsorption-desorption reactions of electrolyte ions on their electrode interface.  Electric double-layer capacitors help to prolong the life of lithium ion batteries by performing rapid charge and discharge.

Nichicon has installed a solar power generation system with an electric energy storage unit - using electric double-layer capacitors on the roof of its head office building, and has also been working to develop new systems such as “grid-connected power smoothing and storage system”, which levels out the extremely volatile wind-power generated electricity output by storing electricity in lithium ion batteries.  The facility in Nishikyogoku Sports Park in Kyoto City was created by integrating Nichicon’s battery management technology, electric double-layer capacitor technology and grid-connected power electronics technology.

Countries around the world are making aggressive efforts to reduce their carbon footprint due to heightened international awareness in the areas of global warming and the increasing attention paid to environmental concerns.  While Japan’s track record is one of the best in the world in terms of energy conversion efficiency, it is lagging behind Europe and the United States in introducing clean energy.  This is partly attributable to the number of daylight hours, weather, and the lack of consistent wind for wind-power generation.  Such natural phenomena cannot be changed, but it is possible to increase opportunities to utilize carbon-neutral energy by efficiently storing clean energy.  This is the reason that Nichicon developed an electric vehicle charging facility that uses solar power generation and an electric energy storage unit that makes it possible to utilize solar power which generates carbon-free-emission clean energy to the electric vehicles even on rainy days and at night. by combining clean energy generation and energy storage technology.