Since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan has been searching for ways to boost energy production and diversify its renewable portfolio. Suitable space for renewable developments has proven unsurprisingly hard to secure for the country famous for its densely populated urban areas. However with 4400 MW of nuclear power to be replaced, the pressure is on to find creative solutions to the problem.

Kyocera is one company who has risen to the challenge spectacularly. As of May 2015, two 1.7 and 1.2 MW PV plants were brought online and mounted on floating platforms within water reservoirs. Together they are expected to produce around 3,300 MWh per year, which is certainly a step in the right direction. But the company has its sights set on larger, more powerful systems, which require greater amounts of empty space rather than what is available through water storage lakes.

The answer - abandoned golf courses?

During the 1980s, a surge in popularity brought the number of golf courses in the country up from several hundred to  several thousand. The staggering cost of construction and land prices eventually suppressed these developments, and with it, national interest in the sport. A great number of these courses were subsequently closed and abandoned. Only now are renewable energy companies seeing the inherent value in these sites, with their size and lack of shade making them perfect for solar developments. Kyocera have recently commissioned their first 23 MW plant on one such course and expect it to produce around 26,300 MWh annually when it is completed in 2017. Additionally, plans are in the works for an installation four times this size to be constructed as a joint venture between Kyocera and three other companies, for a total of 92 MW of generation when it is completed in 2018.

Global interest in the sport is reportedly on the decline, and other countries with an excess of golf courses are looking to the Japanese model for inspiration, with several American golf courses considering offers from solar developers. How long until we see such a development within the UK?