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ProLogis has announced plans to install its first one-megawatt PV system in Japan at its ProLogis Parc Zama I, a five-story distribution facility of more than 1.2 million square metres. Located in the city of Zama, the PV system has an anticipated completion date for sometime in the second quarter of 2009.

"We are thrilled to announce our first solar installation in Japan, leading the way for future projects in the country," said Robert Watson, ProLogis' Chief Sustainability Officer. "ProLogis is committed to implementing enough renewable energy systems to obtain a combined generation capacity of over 25 million kilowatt hours per year by 2010; this project will certainly help us achieve that goal."

Upon operation, the system will produce around 1,000,000kW hours per year; that’s enough electricity to power the facilities lighting of the common area, warehouse space and run half of the air conditioning in the office areas.

ProLogis has been given a subsidy to offset part of the project’s cost by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, an affiliated agency of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The grant is one of many recent government actions that aim to support and promote the use of renewable energy in Japan.

Currently, ProLogis has 6.1MW of completed or under-development PV projects around the world. It has signed two rooftop leases in the U.S. totaling more than 800,000 square feet to power a 2.4MW installation at Southern California Edison in Fontana, CA and a 1.1MW installation with Portland General Electric in Portland, OR. In Europe, France, Spain and Germany have solar installations with ProLogis.