Solar cell and module shipments increased by 80% in Japan in July, August, and September. The cause was government-initiated incentive programs, most notably an aggressive feed-in tariff.
These new payment rates to support clean energy are anticipated to shoot Japan into a world leader position in solar energy. 42 yen or 53 cents a kilowatt-hour was expected to be one of the payment rates in June, and it was predicted accurately. As previously reported on CleanTechnica, the high rate has also drawn attention from foreign investors. “Japan’s new renewable and solar energy feed-in tariff is even attracting solar energy project developers and manufacturers overseas. Spain’s Gestamp Solar announced that it is going into a partnership with Japanese energy consultancy Kankyo-Keiei that entails working together to install an initial 30 MW of rooftop solar PV systems, with a longer term goal of installing 10-times that amount.”
The major shift away from nuclear power appears to be moving steadily and successfully forward. This movement is no small feat, and yet, overall, the economic climate around the world is not exactly robust, nor does there seem to be enough awareness of the promising direction. (For example, there are still climate change deniers and those who are skeptical that renewable energy is necessary.)
Nature has been a significant part of Japanese culture for many years, so it seems appropriate that renewable energy will become prominent there. Hokkaido is an area well-known for its natural beauty and solar is even springing up there.
Image Credit: satoshi sawada, Wiki Commons
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