Final Completion of Solar Ark: DEC 21, 2001
Grand Opening of Museum: APR 1, 2002
Renewal opening of the Field Lab (outdoor exhibition), Ark View Cafe, etc. : MAR 20, 2005

・Good Design Award 2002 Architecture and Environment Design/Architecture Design
・The 5th 'Renewing Your Hometown' 21st Century Fine Art Awards (Honorable Mention)
・The 12th 'Facilities that Publicize Energy' Award (Exhibition Category)
・The 12th Advertising Contest on the Environment, Grand Prix of Environment Advertising Award (Presented by State Minister for the Environment) (Newspaper Category)
・The 2nd Environment and Facility Prize, Outstanding Performance Award (Environmental Design Category)
・'Energy Publicity Center Award for PR Activity', the 14th Director-General of the Natural Energy Agency Award, 2004
* Five museums, including the Science World facility, jointly received an award for conducting business activities linking science museums in Gifu.

The Solar Ark and Solar Energy Museum are open to the public as free-entry facilities, welcoming both specialists and non-specialists alike. The ranks of the specialists include those campaigning for more widespread use of new energy, and those researching solar power generation (e.g. WCPEC-3). Visitors from around Japan and from overseas come for a range of reasons: for academic conferences; to educate themselves about the environment; for school field trips; on summer elective courses; or to appraise a solar power generation system before actually purchasing one for their home.

The SANYO Environmental Fund was established upon construction of the Solar Ark. Funds equivalent to the domestic price of electricity produced by the Solar Ark are transferred annually to the SANYO Environmental Fund to support environmental conservation activities.
N.B. Electricity generated by the Solar Ark is used in our factories.

We run several experiment workshops based on themes relevant to the Solar Energy Museum, such as light and electricity. In these seminars, you and your children can enjoy surprising and amusing experiences through science experiments. Charge-free workshops are held on a weekly basis, and are open to small groups of people. During long vacations and over Christmas we also offer additional workshops with special content. These workshops are renowned for bringing parents and children closer together.
* As of March 2004, 1,000 people have participated.

Co-hosted with Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc., these events are organized for families to nurture their interest in energy and environmental issues. The Gifu Prefectural Board of Education, the Japan Science Museum Association, and the Japanese Council of Science Museums sponsor these classes in order to publicize our activities, which have resulted in the participation of 4,300 people.

Gifu Prefecture's School of the Global Environment delivers a learning program covering environmental issues. The program is held at the Ark Hall once a month throughout the year, on the second Saturday of the month. (These days are appointed 'Gifu Environmental Days'.) A number of parents and children join in, with the aim of fostering environmental awareness in young people―the future leaders of our society.
Lectures are conducted by representatives of local schools, businesses, and governmental offices―people with hands-on experience tackling environmental issues. They provide unique personal perspectives, thanks to their direct involvement in local issues.
While it has its origins in Gifu, the Solar Ark is an environmental project that has been spreading its message throughout Japan. 25 parent-and-child couples (50 participants in total) joined in 2002 and 37 couples (74 in total) in 2003. A further 37 parent-and-child couples registered for participation in 2004.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has collaborated with Japan's prefectural boards of education to hold this annual national festival of science experiments. The main purpose of the festival is to enhance young people's curiosity about science.
In this festival, participants build windmills and simple motors, both of which are thematically related to issues of energy conservation. Another awareness-raising activity involves making soap from waste oil. 11,000 people participated in 2004.

The Solar Ark is participating in a joint project with 4 other museums: Science World, Hida Kiyomi Shizenkan, The Gifu Academy of Forest Science and Culture, and The Gifu City Science Museum). This project is hosted by the JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency). Each museum has its own focus of expertise, and each offers science-education support to local schools by sending out experts or by inviting students to the museums.

For this project, the Solar Ark received the "Energy Publicity Center Award for PR Activity", the 14th Director-General of the Natural Energy Agency Award, 2004.

A promotional film used in the Tokyo Motor Show was shot here, as was an advertisement for a hybrid car. At the request of various corporations, the Solar Ark has been provided as a backdrop for shooting videos that aim to promote an eco-friendly image.