Feed-in Tariff Breathes New Life into Japan Wind Power

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources Eat Asia (Kofu-shi, Japan)--Though nuclear energy in Japan has been granted a 40-year extension, despite the ongoing crisis at Fukushima Daiichi, it is still on its way out. Unlike Germany's plan to phase out nuclear energy, the new Japanese prime minister hopes to utilize existing nuclear capacity while the country builds its renewable energy base. On August 26, the first significant renewable energy bill cleared Japanese parliament, ushering in an era of feed-in tariffs. Solar and wind power are expected to benefit the most from renewable energy investments expected to reach as much as $130 billion.

Solar power has been welcomed in Japan. Panels can be installed anywhere and are becoming less of an eyesore as technology progresses. In Japan, they are found on houses, coexisting with peach orchards, or even serving as roof paneling for civic centers and public spaces. Solar power stations are fairly unobtrusive as well, and since they can be installed in just about any type of location, they have been accepted. Households with solar panels are even paid for excess electricity. Wind power, however, has had a more difficult time finding a foothold in Japan.

Most of Japan's population is located on the coasts, in valleys, or on any flat terrain that is easy to build on. The rest of the land is made up of uninhabited, mountainous landscapes that have strong winds and are ideal locations for turbines. Eight turbines that make up a small windfarm on the Izu peninsula of Shizuoka prefecture are constantly moving, but most residents find that wind turbines serve little other than visual and sound pollution. There is little optimal land to work with after removing mountain ranges and coastlines from potential construction sites. Prior to March 11, Industrial Info noted that wind power investments in Japan were thin on the ground.

Public opinion of wind turbines has changed somewhat since March 11. The tsunami crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, but the shoreline windfarms in its path kept churning just the same afterwards. Offshore wind power has massive potential for Japan. Observed reliability and new technologies could boost Japan's wind power capacity to raise overall renewable energy capacity. Tracked wind power projects have risen and will more than likely increase rapidly over the next year as new laws associated with the new renewable energy bill come into effect.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. IIR's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.