Solar power in Japan
Solar power in Japan has been expanding since the late 1990s. The country is a leading manufacturer of solar panels and is in the top 5 ranking for countries with the most solar PV installed. Japan is third in the world in total solar power (behind Germany and Spain), with most of it grid connected.[1][2] The insolation is good at about 4.3 to 4.8 kWh/(m²·day).
Government action
Financial incentives
The Japanese government is seeking to expand solar power by enacting subsidies and a feed-in tariff. In December 2008, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced a goal of 70% of new homes having solar power installed, and would be spending $145 million in the first quarter of 2009 to encourage home solar power.[3] The government enacted a feed-in tariff on November, 2009 that requires utilities to purchase excess solar power sent to the grid by homes and businesses and pay twice the standard electricity rate for that power.[4]
Targets
The government set solar PV targets in 2004 and revised them in 2009:[5]
- 28 GW of solar PV capacity by 2020
- 53 GW of solar PV capacity by 2030
- 10% of total domestic primary energy demand met with solar PV by 2050
Companies
Solar companies of Japan include:
Notable projects
The Solar Ark is one the largest solar buildings in the world.
Statistics
Installed capacity
| Total installed solar power (MWp) |
See also
References
External links