Fukushima Power Plant 2 Years Later, Japan Reaches Gigantic Milestone In Solar Energy

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http://www.ibtimes.com/fukushima-power-plant-2-years-later-japan-reaches-gigantic-milestone-solar-energy-1411034

Fukushima Power Plant 2 Years Later, Japan Reaches Gigantic Milestone In Solar Energy
By David Kashi on September 26 2013

Japan has become one of only five countries to have achieved 10 gigawatts of cumulative solar capacity, according to new research released by NPD Solarbuzz.

While aiming to diversify its energy mix, Japan is developing its renewable energy sector, especially as it steers away from nuclear power following the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011, Eco Seed reported Wednesday.

The development of solar power in Japan slowed in the mid-2000s, partly due to a 10-year energy plan that favored nuclear power.

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Only four countries have reached 10-gigawatt capacity, the first being Germany, followed by Italy, China and the U.S.

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One gigawatt of solar power is enough to power 139,000 homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. According to an independent equity broker and financial services group, Japan’s solar energy will increase to 19 gigwatts by 2016.

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1. Solar power rises to 10 GW in Japan

http://www.ecoseed.org/renewables/solar/17102-solar-power-rises-to-10-gw-in-japan

Solar power rises to 10 GW in Japan
Published on Wednesday, 25 September 2013 08:44

The solar photovoltaic sector is rising high in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Japan is now one of only five countries that have achieved 10 gigawatts of cumulative solar photovoltaic capacity, according to new research from NPD Solarbuzz.

Germany was the first country to reach this mark, followed by Italy, China and the U.S. Like Japan, both the U.S. and China reached the 10 GW-milestone fairly recent – within the past few months.

The increase in Japan’s solar capacity can be traced back to efforts from the Japanese government to increase the country’s renewable energy sector in the wake of nuclear falling out of favor after the Fukushima disaster in 2011.

Solar PV deployment in Japan slowed in the mid-2000’s, partially due to a ten-year energy plan approved in March 2002 that favored the expansion of nuclear generation. The plan called for the expansion of nuclear capacity by 30 percent by 2011.

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