Japan Seeing a Rapid Increase in Sales of Solar Panels

The Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association (JPEA) released its statistics for the shipping of solar panels during the first quarter of fiscal 2009, which it collected by surveying 24 Japanese manufacturers. According to the statistics, domestic sales, which accounted for 29.3 percent of the total, rose to 83,260 kilowatts (kW) of generating capacity, an increase of 82.5 percent over the same period in the previous year.

Looking at the domestic shipment volume by application, 92.4 percent were for residential systems, which increased by 77.3 percent from the same period in the previous year, to 76,972 kW of generating power. Solar panels for public use such as street lights, road-related uses, and lighting for government office buildings, plus panels for businesses such as for office buildings and factories, together accounted for 6.1 percent, and amounted to 5,062 kW of generating power, representing a 166.3 percent increase from last year.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry started a subsidy program in 2008 for residential solar panel installation. Under the program, a subsidy of 70,000 yen (about U.S.$720) per maximum output of one kW is provided; the average amount of subsidy would be 250,000 yen (about $2,600) for an output of 3.5 kW. The ministry also started a new buyback program on November 1, 2009, that requires power companies to purchase surplus electricity from solar power system owners. The provisional purchase prices are 48 yen/kW from home-owners and 24 yen from others. These governmental policies appear to be effective in promoting domestic sales of solar panels.

Japanese Ministry (METI) to Subsidize Residential PV Installation(Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028740.html

Posted: 2009/11/29 06:00:15 AM