KYOCERA solar modules illuminate ‘Cathedral of the Holy Cross’ in Turkey
PC's Solar Photovoltaics Blog
Kyocera Corp. has supplied solar modules that help to illuminate theArmenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross — located on the island of Akdamar, Turkey. This year church services were held there for the first time in 90 years.
As an important cultural landmark, the church isilluminated in the evenings throughout the year. The energy required for the illumination, which was previously supplied by diesel fuel, nowcomes from Kyocera solar modules. The modules were supplied by KYOCERAFineceramics GmbH and installed by the Turkish company Ezinc A.S.
The uninhabited island of Akdamar in Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey,is the location of the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross. In recenttimes this Christian house of worship was only used as a museum. Now,with the permission of the Turkish government, a church service is again to take place there every year. Illumination outside of the church isnow made possible from power generated by solar energy.
TheProvince of Van, which includes the island of Akdamar, records the third highest sunlight values in Turkey. In combination with the cool islandclimate, the location offers ideal conditions for the operation of asolar power generating system. The installation consists of 145 modulesthat supply an average energy yield of 25,000 kilowatt-hours per year.
Before the installation of the solar plant, the power supply for the churchcame from a diesel generator, which even when operated for only threehours a day, incurred high costs of 25,000 euros per year. As a result,the return period for the investment on this solar installation will besignificantly shorter than typical cases.
