Japanese Government Adopts Action Plan Emphasizing Solar Power Generation

Image by Powerhouse Museum. Some Rights Reserved.

The Japanese government made a cabinet decision on July 29, 2008 that approved an action plan for achieving a low-carbon society. The plan is formulated as a practical roadmap to shift towards a low-carbon society, as recommended by the former prime minister Yasuo Fukuda's speech in June (called the Fukuda Vision), and the Council on the Global Warming Issue under his management. (Ms. Junko Edahiro, a joint chief executive of the non-profit group, Japan for Sustainability, is one of 12 experts on the council.)

In the plan, developing innovative technologies and introducing existing advanced technologies are emphasized for achieving a low-carbon society. The innovative technical development aspect will feature technologies and innovation beyond the conventional technologies in terms of structure/materials and systems, which are expected to contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gases by 2050. Thirty billion US dollars will be invested over the next five years into these developments. Taking the solar cell, for example, the plan aims to increase its generating efficiency by more than 40 percent and reduce its cost to 7 Japanese yen (7 US cents) /kWh from the year 2030 onward.

With respect to spreading the use of advanced technologies, in order to regain the global top spot in terms of solar power energy generation, the government has set the goal of a tenfold increase by 2020, and of an increase to forty times by 2030 from the current level and aims to reduce the price of solar power systems by roughly one half of the current price in three to five years by applying technological innovation and generating demand. Moreover, taking as an example the policies in Germany and other countries, bold measures to support the introduction of solar energy and new pricing systems will be considered.

- Action Plan for Achieving a Low-carbon Society
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/policy/ondanka/
final080729.pdf
- Japan Establishes Cabinet Advisory Panel on Climate Change (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027007.html

Posted: 2009/01/01 06:00:15 AM