AirWater and Suichoku Solar K. K. have launched a 178 kW vertical PV system at a Tottori parking lot, operating under an on-site PPA. The Verpa-based system, a first for the San’in region, maximizes space, avoids snow damage, and reportedly delivers power equivalent to rooftop solar installations.
Image: AirWater
Japanese medical equipment provider AirWater and Suichoku Solar K.K. have announced the completion of a 178.5 kW vertical PV system at a parking lot owned by Japanese telemarketing company JP Two-Way Contact Co., Ltd in Tottori, in the Chūgoku region of southern Japan.
The system, based on Suichoku Solar’s proprietary Verpa design, incorporates vertical racks supplied by Germany’s Next2Sun and 525 W bifacial heterojunction PV modules. It began operation on November 20 under an on-site power purchase agreement.
“All electricity generated by this system will be consumed by the center, covering approximately 25% of its total power consumption,” AirWater said in a statement. “This is the first vertical solar power generation system for parking lots in the San’in region and the largest in Japan.”
The company noted that the vertical configuration eliminates the risk of snow damage, requires minimal space, and uses reflected and scattered light from the surrounding area to generate power comparable to rooftop systems.
“Furthermore, by installing the equipment more than 2 meters above ground level, the installation of protective fences, as required by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) ordinance, is unnecessary, allowing the land to be used for other purposes such as parking lots, material storage areas, walkways, and green spaces,” it stated. “Verpa can be installed along property boundaries, in parking lots, green spaces, or along walkways, as long as there is a 2.5 m-wide space.
Air Water recently announced it intends to deploy Verpa systems totaling 1.3 MW at 14 of its facilities and around 10 MW at other locations in Japan during 2026.
Furthermore, it said it is currently developing Verpa-Mova, a portable version of the system that is being tested in the Nagano Prefecture. “This product features a laid-base type that does not require pile foundations, making it easy to install in locations where installation was previously difficult, such as on artificial ground or concrete structures,” the company said, without providing further details. 
*The article was updated on December 5 to reflect that the project developer was Suichoku Solar and not Luxor Solar, as we previously reported. 
 
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More articles from Emiliano Bellini
Nowadays, the electric vehicle is prosperously developing; this vertical PV system is where the trend lies. Designed to maximize the use of space and sunlight energy, the greater part is no longer worried about the dust, snow, or anything else, less maintenance. Reducing 25% of electricity cost and consumption is a great start to utilizing the PV module. Hope the expenditure will be more cost-effective and widely available.
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