Solar power in Japan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Infobox country solar power Solar power in Japan has been expanding since the late 1990s. Japan is a large installer of domestic PV systems, with most of them grid connected.[1] The country was a major manufacturer and exporter of photovoltaics (PV), with a global market share of around 50% in the early 2000s. However, by 2019, this had dropped to below 1% due to the rise of state-backed production in China.[2]

With almost no domestic oil and gas reserves, Japan began investing heavily in research and development of renewable energy and energy conservation following the 1973 oil crisis. The Sunshine Project (1973–1992) explored the potential of solar power, geothermal power, liquefied coal, and hydrogen as primary energy sources. In 1992, during the early years of commercial PV installation, Japan accounted for 27.8% of global PV production, and by 2004, this had risen to 50.4%. Although conventional PV is no longer mass-produced in the country, Japan has been investing in perovskite solar cell technology in recent years, a technology invented by Tsutomu Miyasaka. Commercial production of perovskite cells in Japan is expected to begin by 2027.[2]

Solar power has become an important national priority since the country's shift in policies toward renewable energy after the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011.[3][4] Japan was the world's second largest market for solar PV growth in 2013 and 2014, adding a record 6.97 GW and 9.74 GW of nominal nameplate capacity, respectively. By the end of 2017, cumulative capacity reached 50 GW, the world's second largest solar PV installed capacity, behind China.[5][6] In line with the significant rise in installations and capacity, solar power accounted for 9.9% of Japan's national electricity generation in 2022, up from 0.3% in 2010.[7][8]

Solar manufacturing industry

Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

File:Japan-SolarCellProductionAndExport-2.png
Japanese solar cell production (in GW)
#REDIRECT Template:Legend inline   #REDIRECT Template:Legend inline   #REDIRECT Template:Legend inline

In the 2000s, Japanese manufacturers and exporters of photovoltaics included Kyocera, Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Sanyo, Sharp Solar, Solar Frontier, and Toshiba. However, these manufacturers had stopped mass-producing PV by 2019.[2]

During the Reagan administration in the United States, oil prices decreased and the US removed most of its policies that supported its solar industry.[9]Template:Rp Government subsidies were higher in Japan (as well as Germany), which prompted the solar industry supply chain to begin moving from the US to those countries.[9]Template:Rp

Government action

Feed-in tariff

The Japanese government is seeking to expand solar power by enacting subsidies and a feed-in tariff (FIT). 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.[10] The government enacted a feed-in tariff in 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.[11]

On June 18, 2012, a new feed-in tariff was approved, of 42 Yen/kWh. The tariff covers the first ten years of excess generation for systems less than 10 kW, and generation for twenty years for systems over 10 kW. It became effective July 1, 2012.[12] In April 2013, the FIT was reduced to 37.8 Yen/kWh.[13] The FIT was further reduced to 32 Yen/kWh in April 2014.[14]

In March 2016, a new feed-in tariff was approved for electricity generated by photovoltaic power. The Procurement Price Calculation Committee compiled and publicized recommendations concerning the FY 2016 purchase prices and the periods to which they apply. Respecting the recommendations, METI finalized these as follows:

  • Non-household customers (10 kW or more): reduced from 27 yen/kWh to 24 yen/kWh.
  • Household customers (10 kW or less) was reduced from 33 yen/kWh to 31 yen/kWh when generators are not required to have output control equipment installed. When generators are required to have output control equipment installed the price was reduced from 35 yen/kWh to 33 yen/kWh.[15]

Residential PV feed-in tariffs for systems below 10 kW were updated in 2017 to values between JPY24/kWh to JPY28/kWh depending on the circumstances. These were due to remain unchanged until 2019.[16]

The most recent FIT only concerns non-residential solar power plants. The new non-residential FIT was due to reduce in 2017 from JPY21/kWh in 2017 to JPY18/kWh for facilities certified in and after April 2018.[16]

Targets

The government set solar PV targets in 2004 and revised them in 2009:[17]

  • 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

The targets set for 2020 were surpassed in 2014, and the target for 2030 was surpassed in 2018.

As of July 2021, Japan was aiming at 108 GW of solar capacity by 2030. In May 2021, the Japanese Trade Ministry said that Japan may require up to 370 GW of solar capacity by 2050 to reach the goal of cutting carbon emissions to zero.[18]

Statistics

Installed PV capacity (in MW)
Year
End 		Total
Capacity 		Yearly
Installation 		Share of national electricity demand
1992 19.0 n/a
1993 24.3 5.3
1994 31.2 6.9
1995 43.4 12.2
1996 59.6 16.2
1997 91.3 31.7
1998 133 41.7
1999 209 76
2000 330 121
2001 453 123
2002 637 184
2003 860 223
2004 1,132 272
2005 1,422 290
2006 1,709 287
2007 1,919 210
2008 2,144 225
2009 2,627 483
2010 3,618 991 0.3%[19]
2011 4,914 1,296 0.5%[20]
2012[21] 6,632 1,718 0.7%[22]
2013[21] 13,599 6,967 1.4%[23]
2014[21] 23,339 9,740 2.4%[24]
2015[21] 34,150 10,811 3.5%[25]
2016[21] 42,040 8,600 4.9%[5]
2017[21] 49,500 7,000 5.9%[26]
2018[21] 56,162 6,500 6.8%[27]
2019[21] 63,192 7.6%[28]
2020[21] 71,868 7.54%[29]
2021[21] 78,413 9.06%[29]
2022[30] 83,057 9.91%[29]
2023[31] 87,068 10.79%[29]
Source: EPIA and IEA-PVPS. All nominal capacity figures are reconverted from WAC to Wp.[32][33]
Script error: No such module "Chart".
Yearly Installation – Annually installed PV capacity in megawatts since 1992

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Script error: No such module "Chart".
Total Capacity – Cumulative installed PV capacity in megawatts since 1992

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Script error: No such module "Chart".
Module prices of residential solar pv in Japan 1992–2015 (JPY/W) Source: iea-pvps.org

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

See also

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b c 太陽電池産業の振り返りと次世代型太陽電池の今後の方向性. [Relfections on Japan's PV industry and our strategy in promoting new types of PV systems] (in Japanese). Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. May 2024
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Pv-magazine FEBRUARY 15, 2018. "Japan will likely install 6 GW to 7.5 GW (DC) of solar in 2018, from about 7 GW in 2017..."
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Capacity statistics 2022 irena.org
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Capacity statistics 2021 irena.org
  29. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ [1] developmentaid.org
  31. ↑ [2] developmentaid.org
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Economy of Japan Template:Solar power by countryTemplate:Renewable energy by country

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Solar_power_in_Japan&oldid=7455437"