At least five Japanese utilities are restricting grid access for new solar farms, citing difficulties absorbing high volumes of electricity from intermittent sources.
“After spending almost $30 billion on solar energy in a single year and installing as many panels as exist in the whole of Spain, Japan is preparing to ratchet back its boom in photovoltaic power,” Watanabe reports.
- The climate news you need. Subscribe now to our engaging new weekly digest.
- You’ll receive exclusive, never-before-seen-content, distilled and delivered to your inbox every weekend.
- The Weekender: Succinct, solutions-focused, and designed with the discerning reader in mind.
After the Fukushima nuclear meltdowns in 2011, Japan offered generous solar incentives, and its trade ministry approved plans for 72 GW of renewable energy projects. Investment tripled between 2010 and 2013, to US$29.3 billion, making Japan the world’s second-largest solar market.
