News
2023/2/28
NTT DATA to Conduct Demonstration Testing for Film-Type Perovskite Solar Cells on Exterior Building Walls
TOKYO – February 27, 2023 – NTT DATA, a global digital business and IT services leader, will begin demonstration testing from April 2023 of film-type perovskite solar cells installed on the exterior walls of buildings. This joint project with Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. is the first such demonstration experiment conducted in Japan.
NTT DATA has been pursuing environmental measures for its data centers, including demonstrating reductions in server energy consumption by using liquid immersion cooling1, and enhancing environmental performance through the use of renewable energy, and is currently installing green energy generation systems at its business facilities. However, installing ordinary solar panels at data centers in central metropolitan areas, including those of NTT DATA, presents difficulties, and implementation has been slow. Using renewable energy in metropolitan areas generally requires power to be transmitted from solar panels in suburban areas under an offsite PPA2 or self-consignment system3, leading to issues of cost and loss due to the transmission load. NTT DATA aims to address this issue by utilizing film-type perovskite solar cells developed by Sekisui Chemical to generate and use renewable energy at its existing facilities in urban areas, realizing local production of renewable energy for local consumption.
The aim of this demonstration test is to identify potential issues with installing film-type perovskite solar cells on the exterior of a building. For the first phase of the project, solar cells will be installed on a small area on the exterior wall of Sekisui Chemical's R&D center to confirm the installation method and ensure structural safety, including wind pressure. Around April 2024, a system will then be installed on the exterior wall of the NTT Shinagawa TWINS Data Tower to verify the generating efficiency in urban areas and other aspects of practical application. Going forward, by demonstrating the installation method to ensure safety and generating efficiency, NTT DATA plans to introduce the system at all 16 of its data centers and offices in Japan, and aims to achieve carbon neutrality at its data centers by fiscal 2030.
Background
NTT DATA has set targets of a 60% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions (compared to fiscal 2016 levels) by 2030, carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040, and net zero for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 2050. Since April 2022, energy used at the Toyosu Center Building and Toyosu Center Building Annex where NTT DATA's headquarters is located, and total energy consumed for operation of principal services (the settlement/finance related ANSER®, CAFIS®, and the digital transformation foundation OpenCanvas®), has been 100% renewable energy4. Further, NTT DATA expects to reach carbon neutrality at Okinawa IT Shinryo Park for the electricity used at No. 2 Tower and No. 7 Tower which provides the NTT DATA Group's BPO business5.
Decarbonization requires installation of onsite renewable energy systems in order to realize local production for local consumption and reduce the transmission load. However, it is difficult to secure space on the roofs or grounds of buildings in urban areas for conventional solar power systems. The weight of such systems is also considerable, and installation could result in exceeding the design load of buildings. NTT DATA therefore decided to adopt perovskite solar cells, next-generation solar cells that are lightweight with few restrictions on where they can be installed, and conduct tests to verify the installation method for exterior walls and the generating efficiency.
About Perovskite Solar Cells
Conventional solar panels are large and rigid, making them difficult to install at scale in metropolitan areas. The typical solution is to generate electricity in more open suburban areas, and transmit power to the facility that will use it under an offsite PPA or self-consignment system. However, this presents problems in terms of cost and loss due to the transmission load.
Film-type perovskite solar cells developed by Sekisui Chemical, by contrast, are lightweight and flexible, making them easier to install on existing buildings in metropolitan areas. These solar cells are expected to facilitate local production of renewable energy for local consumption in urban areas.
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