Renewable Energy Institute released a recommendation titled "For Expansion of Sustainable Solar Power" (original Japanese version published on 7 January 2019).
Solar power in Japan has been steadily expanding since the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme was instituted in 2012, playing a major role in reducing greenhouse gases and ensuring stable power supplies. It has also greatly contributed to increasing employment and revitalizing regional economies.
There have been these positive achievements, but in recent years cases have also been reported of large-scale solar power projects having a negative impact on the natural environment. Development projects that lead to landslides or ecological destruction must not be tolerated even in the name of renewable energy development.
Solar power is a decentralized renewable energy that can be introduced in a variety of formats. There are many cases of even large-scale power facilities being built and operated while limiting the impact on the natural environment, through use of idle land.
The following recommendation will provide an overview of solar power expansion in Japan and then present issues that need to be addressed in order to further expand sustainable solar power going forward.
1. Overview of Installed Solar Power Capacity in Japan
2. Scale and Site Characteristics of Problematic Projects
3. Background of Problematic Projects in Forested Areas and Direction of Response
4. Expanding Solar Power: Future Directions
Solar power in Japan has been steadily expanding since the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme was instituted in 2012, playing a major role in reducing greenhouse gases and ensuring stable power supplies. It has also greatly contributed to increasing employment and revitalizing regional economies.
There have been these positive achievements, but in recent years cases have also been reported of large-scale solar power projects having a negative impact on the natural environment. Development projects that lead to landslides or ecological destruction must not be tolerated even in the name of renewable energy development.
Solar power is a decentralized renewable energy that can be introduced in a variety of formats. There are many cases of even large-scale power facilities being built and operated while limiting the impact on the natural environment, through use of idle land.
The following recommendation will provide an overview of solar power expansion in Japan and then present issues that need to be addressed in order to further expand sustainable solar power going forward.
1. Overview of Installed Solar Power Capacity in Japan
2. Scale and Site Characteristics of Problematic Projects
3. Background of Problematic Projects in Forested Areas and Direction of Response
4. Expanding Solar Power: Future Directions