Japan's Ministry Announces PV Electricity Purchasing Prices for 2011

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With respect to the Excess Electricity Purchasing Scheme for Photovoltaic (PV) Electricity, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has determined purchasing prices for FY 2011, as announced in detail on March 30, 2011. The purchasing prices are 42 yen (52 US cents)/kilowatt-hour (kWh) for residential PV facilities (less than 10 kilowatts) and 40 yen (49 US cents)/kWh for non-residential PV facilities. In dual power generation cases (where both PV facilities and other in-house generation facilities are installed), the prices are 34 yen (42 US cents)/kWh for residential PV facilities and 32 yen (40 US cents)/kWh for non-residential PV facilities.

The Excess Electricity Purchasing Scheme for Photovoltaic (PV) Electricity guarantees PV facility owners that their excess power is purchased by power companies at fixed prices for 10 years.

According to the scheme launched in November 2009, the purchasing prices for customers who signed up with power companies by FY 2010 are 48 yen (59 US cents)/kWh for residential PV facilities (less than 10 kW) and 24 yen (30 US cents)/kWh for non-residential PV facilities (39 yen/kWh for residential PV facilities and 20 yen/kWh for non-residential PV facilities in case of dual power generation) (48 US cents and 25 US cents, respectively).

The new purchasing prices were decided based on deliberations at the Purchasing System Subcommittee held in January and February under the Electricity Industry Committee and the New and Renewable Energy Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy. The public comments received after the deliberations were also taken into account. Minister of METI revised the notification of the criteria for general electricity operators regarding non-fossil energy sources usage, and announced the new purchasing prices.

Ministry Launches New Solar Power Purchasing System in November 2009 (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/029497.html

Posted: 2011/09/12 06:00:15 AM