Solar Ark

The Solar Ark (ソーラーアーク, Sōrā Āku) is a Japanese arc-shaped solar photovoltaic power generation facility located in Anpachi, Gifu Prefecture The facility is 315 meters (1,033 ft) wide and 37 meters (121 ft) tall, one of the largest solar buildings in the world, and is located in the geographical center of Japan. It can be seen from the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, which runs past on an adjacent railway. During its years of operation between 2002 and 2022, over 5000 panels produced approximately 530,000 kilowatt-hours of energy annually, with a maximum system power of 630 kilowatts. The company described it as an "ambassador for environmentally responsible energy". The Solar Ark was an enterprise partner with the 2005 World Exhibition, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and featured an hands-on, outdoor light exhibition as part of the Expo. A a museum of solar energy, called the Solar Lab, was previously located at the center of the Solar Ark. In July 2026, it was announced that the Solar Ark would be dismantled starting in September, with demolition taking approximately one year.