Japanese ISP Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ) has installed solar panels at one of its data centers.

The company this week announced the installation of a 336kWp rooftop solar power system on the data hall and administrative buildings at its Shiroi data center campus in Chiba Prefecture.

The first 700-rack data center launched at the 40,000 sqm (430,500 sq ft) Shiroi site launched in May 2019, and the new solar system went into operation in February 2023.

The panels are expected to generate approximately 373MWh annually, amounting to just 3 percent of the facility’s needs.

Installation of the solar panels was partially funded by an FY2021 program of Japan's Ministry of the Environment for subsidizing measures taken to control carbon dioxide emissions.

The company said similar deployments are planned at IIJ’s Matsue data center park in Shimane Prefecture, and on the phase two server building of the Shiroi DCC, which is scheduled to go into operation in July 2023.

Announced last year, the second building at Shiroi will offer space for around 1,100 racks. At full build-out, the site will feature four buildings totaling around 6,000 racks and 50MW.

The Shiroi campus is also the location for an Edge data center deployment trial with Australian micro data center firm Zella DC, and also houses a Tesla Powerpack lithium-ion battery storage system.

The Matsue City campus opened in 2011 and expanded in 2013. It totals 16,000 sqm (172,225 sq ft) and 5MW, with space for 4MW. Last year the company announced plans for another 2,000 sqm (21,525 sq ft) module with capacity for 300 racks, set to go live in 2025.

The company has also previously opened a data center near Fukuoka Airport, and operates a total of 21 facilities.