Tokyo Wants New Homes To Have Solar Panels From 2025

This Change Will Make Tokyo The First Place In Japan To Require New Homes To Have Solar Panels! 

Solar panels may soon be required on newly constructed homes in Tokyo as part of a wider plan to lower the city’s carbon emissions. The metropolitan government is striving for 2025 for the beginning of the Solar Power Initiative, the first of its kind in Japan, which committed to decarbonising its economy by 2050. How fantastic is this!?

This initiative would only apply to builders of pre-designed homes, so builders who are creating custom-built homes will still have the choice to install solar panels or not. The plan would mean that home builders with annual construction and sales of at least 20,000 square metres of floor space in Tokyo will be required to install solar panels, but rules may vary.

Image: Canva

The Tokyo Government Will Also Create A Recycling Program For The Disposal Of Solar Panels 

Tokyo homebuilders will be able to choose how many solar panels they will install, based on the number of homes they construct. They will be able to freely select which buildings to fit out with solar panels, as long as they meet their targets. Even if developers miss their targets, they won’t face penalties.

The government will also allow homeowners to decide whether to use or sell their electricity! We think allowing the homeowner to choose what they do with their electricity is an awesome part of the new plan — but the good news gets better! As solar panels usually last for 20-30 years, the local government will also start a program to promote recycling in preparation for massive disposal in the future.

Image: Canva

Tokyo Strives To Lower Polluting Emissions 

Japan is the sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world after China, the US, the EU, India, and Russia. There are four main sectors that emissions come from in Japan: The power industry, transportation, buildings, and agriculture. Japan is more reliant than other economies on fossil fuels, as they have lower capacity for renewable energy.

However, the country committed in 2020 to decrease their emissions to net zero by 2050. As an interim goal, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Japan would reduce emissions by 46% by 2030! As part of the clean energy strategy, the Japanese government estimates they will have to invest $1.2 trillion in decarbonisation over the next 10 years to help achieve the country’s carbon neutrality goal in 2050.