Sun Trinity completed the commissioning of a 3.1 megawatt (MW) solar carport at Aeon Mall Yamatokoriyama in Nara Prefecture. The project, inaugurated on October 17, covers 1,004 parking spaces and is expected to supply approximately 20% of the site’s annual electricity consumption, according to company data.
Progressive deployment across twelve shopping malls
This installation brings the operational capacity under the on-site power purchase agreement (PPA) portfolio between Sun Trinity and Aeon Mall to 10.1 MW. The deployment forms part of a framework agreement signed in January 2024 targeting 14.9 MW of solar carports to be installed across twelve commercial centres nationwide.
Six sites have already been equipped this year, including Aeon Mall Toki in Gifu Prefecture with a 1.9 MW system, and Aeon Mall Kofu Showa, where a 2.2 MW plant was installed. Sun Trinity now plans to add a further 8.8 MW across six locations, indicating a potential expansion of the original agreement.
Direct purchase agreements and energy integration
The on-site PPA model allows Aeon Mall to consume the electricity produced without using the national grid, reducing transmission losses. This mechanism, increasingly adopted in Japan’s commercial sector, enables shopping mall operators to secure a portion of their energy supply long-term while limiting exposure to wholesale market volatility.
Sun Trinity was established in 2022 as a joint venture, 60% owned by Power Frontier Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, and 40% by Shikoku Electric Power. Since its founding, the company has focused on developing solar projects under both on-site and off-site PPA structures for industrial and commercial partners.
Growth of commercial solar installations
Aeon Mall has initiated several programmes to secure independent power supply for its properties. It has previously partnered with Mizuho Bank and Ecostyle to develop over 1,000 low-voltage solar installations totalling around 120 MW. These projects allow for intersite self-consumption, known locally as “self-wheeling,” across 50 commercial locations.
The contract model with Sun Trinity enables Aeon Mall to expand its production capacity without direct infrastructure investment, while securing fixed-price electricity supply over the long term.
