Economic and non-economic regional value-added of large-scale photovoltaic (mega solar) power:
A case of Uku Island in Sasebo City, Kyushu
ソクサ ニー

氏名（所属）：昔 宣希（長崎大学 環境科学部）
Keyword： Uku island、large scale mega-solar、economic impact, non-economical regional value-added creation
institutional design of the project considering【問題・目的・背景】

establishmentofaninstitutionalfoundation,

Japan government has clarified its strategy ofparticipation of local residents, sustainable system

placing renewable energy as the main power source in its

for profits return are key issues (Suk et al., 2019).

mid- to long-term energy transition plan (METI, 2018).
Amid various policies of renewable energy expansion, it
is, in particular, stressed to as an important material
for local economic revitalization and realization of acirculating society at a local level facing the social
challenges of a decreasing birthrate and rapidly aging

This study focuses on Uku Island in Sasebo City,
where the largest mega solar project in Japan is planned.
Overviewing the historical progress and discussion on
renewable energy projects in Uku Island, it aims tomeasure regional added value of the large scale PV
installation in economic and non-economic aspects, anddemographics (MOE 2018).

clarify the issues and challenges for sustainable local
Under these context, in recent, local governments'

energy initiatives.

energy self- governance introducing renewable energy
sourcesisgaining

attention

inrealizinga【研究方法】

decentralized energy system and revitalizing the local

The study was conducted in conjunction with Nagasaki

economy. Municipalities that produce more renewable

University (Division of Environmental Sciences) andelectricity than the electricity demand for domestic

Berkeley University's summer internship program, New

and agricultural water in the region are increasing.

Landscape for Post-Corona- Saving the cultural

According to statistics on energy self-sufficiency
ranking by prefecture in 2018 (Kurasaka Laboratory andEnvironmental Energy Policy Research Institute, 2019),
4 out of the top 10 prefectures (1st Oita Prefecture,landscape of Uku Island. The purpose of the internshipprogram is to comprehensively understand the history
and culture of Uku Island and design its new landscapefor post-Corona.

2nd Kagoshima, 4th Miyazaki Prefecture, and 10th

Expanding the findings under the internship, thisKumamoto Prefecture) are prefectures within the Kyushu

study is planned in two folds: firstly to identify thearea. Many of these are based on the large-scale

policy progress and historical discussions on thephotovoltaic (PV)) power generation projects.

renewable energy in Uku Island, using internet accessed

In regards to regional economic value added, the mega
solar projects generate regional economic benefits
mainly through tax revenues (tax on fixed installations
and businesses, income taxes due to increased
employment, etc.). Meanwhile, in terms of non-economicadded value, unlike a small-scale community-basedenergy project for self-sufficiency of electricity, indocuments by the local governments, literatures inacademia, newspapers by Medias and other written
information were widely reviewed, and to empiricallymeasure residents’ perception onto the mega-solar
project in their place by implementing questionnaire
survey during July in 2020. As a result of the survey,
738 valid samples were collected.

the case of Mega Solar project, there is a concern of

Based on this first step, in the second stage, it

asymmetry in the economic feasibility of business andfurther examines the economic and non-economic regional

the creation of non-economic added value of local

value-added of mega solar power quantitatively andcommunity (Morotomi, 2019). Thus, the structural andqualitatively. For the economic add value, RVA

(Regional Value Added) of Renewable Energy, developed

In addition to PVDP, in June 2014, four companies

jointly by Kyoto University, Ristumeikan University andincluding

Institut für angewandtes Stoffstrommanagement (IfaS)

Corporation, and Mizuho Bank signed the project andare empolyed. In addition, this study develops anreached a basic agreement.

analytical framework for non-economic added value,including determinants of regionally driven renewable
initiatives based on literature reviews.

Kyocera,Kyudenko

Corporation,

ORIX

However, on January 24, 2018, PVDP agreed totransfer its rights to 「Uhishima Island Future Energy
Holdings Limited Liability Company」、resulting in PVDP

This study also adopts interviews targeting withand ORIX Corporation were excluded, but SPCG

related local government officials, related experts on(headquarter in Thailand), Tokyo Century Corporation,energy policy and aging decreasing as well as residents

Furukawa Electric Industry, Tsuboi Industry, andin various age range via online or in person.

18Bank were newly joining. The total investment amountDue to delay of data collection for the research
activities, this paper presents mainly the results andfindings learned in the first step.
【研究・調査･分析結果】

is around 200 billion yen.
According to the information on Kyocera's website,
the total power generation capacity of the project andthe annual power generation are estimated to be 480MW
and 51.5 million MWh, respectively, which is

Ukushima is an island in the northernmost part ofequivalent toanannual amount for covering

the Goto Islands, about 50 km west of the mainland of

approximately 173,000 households. The annual CO2

Kyushu, and belongs to Sasebo City. The total area isreduction of the project is expected to be about

24.93 million square meters. Its population is 2,179

27,4750tons.

in 2015 (1,183 household in 2017), and livestockindustry is thriving.

The scale of the project requires a total of 16.5
million PV panels, which covers an area of 6.3 million

It is said the birthplace of the Goto family. Insquare meters, accounting for 40% of the total island

the Island, there are many historical and culturalarea. In fact, the annual power consumption required

monuments related to “Heike Mori” all over the area.

for the entire island is only 0.7% of the project's

Currently it is suffering severe depopulation withestimated annual power generation. It poses ahigh share of aging population.

significant scenery impairment, risk of landscapedamage such as flooding and infringement of thecultural heritage, as a result, is likely to have anadverse non-economic impact.
Factors evaluated as non-economic impacts include
the establishment of a system for the use of natural
resources in the region (enactment of related
regulations, establishment of NGOs, NPOs, or etc.),
realizationofenergy

self-sufficiency,participation and investment of local residents'
voluntary energy projects, community revitalization,
environmental and cultural conservation, etc., which
Figure 1 Geographical location of Uku IslandIn April 2013, Photovolt Development Partners GmbH(PVDP) launched a mega solar project on Uku Island.

were found in local governments that are recognizedadvanced cased of energy autonomy.
In Uku, no institutional norms for the use ofnatural resources on the island was found. The

Therefore, along with the economic added value of

mid-to-long-term institutional provision in which

the renewable energy project, the local governments

business profits are returned to the island is also

and companies in planning and implementing theinsufficient.
residents'

Particularly

participatoryinterms

energyoflocal

renewable projects should take no-monetary added

business

andvalue into account significantly in the mid- and long-community revitalization, although 60% of theresidents are interested in large-scale projects on
the island, the institutional mechanism for capturinglocal residents in these projects is very weak and interm view.
It would be a critical policy implications for thelocal governments and citizens who under consideringlarge-scale renewable energy projects.

actuality local residents are excluded from renewableenergy projects, which is contrasted with precedents

As a follow-up study, it is necessary to estimateof citizens' activities in other advanced cases

environmental costs by industrial waste of large

adopting citizen investment.

number of photovoltaic panels as well as non-monetary
costs of cultural value loss due to the project andexternalize

theseneglected

cost

into

theprofitability of the project.
【引用・参考文献】
Kurasaka Laboratory and Environmental Energy Policy
Research Institute、2019、「永続地帯2019年版報告書」、
千葉大学
Figure 2 Interested or not in Uku Island's
renewable energy business (n=737)【考察・今後の展開】

METI (Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry)、2018、「第 5 次エネルギー基本計画」(https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2018/07/20180703001/20180703001-1.pdf)

In order to achieve the government's long-term
renewable energy expansion target and greenhouse gas
reduction target, introduction and expansion ofrenewable energy is inevitable. At a local level,
renewable energy utilization that makes use of energy
sources available in the region is an important axis
for the local economy and community revitalization,
while population reduction and aging are increasing.
Focusing on the Uku Island, this study seeks toraise the question of the balance between renewableenergy development paradigm and conservation ofnature and culture around Uku Island.
Renewable energy is an eco-friendly business.
However, if a large-scale project does not express its
original value in the community, it should not be
overlooked that it is only an existing development-oriented project we have experienced in a high-growth
era in the past.

MOE (Ministry of Environment)、2018、「第 5 次環境基本計画」(http://www.env.go.jp/policy/kihon_keikaku/)
Morotomi Toru, 2019, 「入門 地域付加価値創造分析－
再生可能エネルギーが促す地域経済循環」, 日本評論社
RAUPACH-SUMIYA Jörg, 2014, 「Measuring Regional
Economic Value-Added of Renewable Energy: The Caseof Germany」, 社会システム研究, 第 29 号, p.1－31(http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/re/ssrc/result/memoirs/kiyou29/29-01.pdf)
Sunhee Suk, Nobuo Shirai, Soocheol Lee, 2019,「Locally-led renewable energy implementation forenergy system transition in Korea: a case study ofJeju Special Administrative Province」, Discussion
Paper, Research Project on Renewable Energy
Economics, Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto
University（https://www.econ.kyoto-u.ac.jp/renewable_energy/stage2/pbfile/m000166/REEKU_DP003.pdf）