Tokyo To Require New Homes Be Fitted With Solar Panels From 2025 - Slashdot

Posted by msmash

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  Should be the same in all countries now especially here in the UK

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    Where are all these solar PV panels going to come from? Do people understand the material and labor requirements of solar power versus other options? Because of the labor and material needed for rooftop solar the costs are nearly incredible, and mandating the installation of solar PV will create an artificial demand for more production that will drive prices higher. If every new house must have solar PV on the roof then that's just going to drive up the costs of existing homes, because if people can't af

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      Heavily invested in fossil fuels are we?

    • Re: Should be the same in all countries now

      Ultimately, PV panels are just special glass and the cost to make it will keep dropping. Houses are full of glass and ceramics already.

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      You mean for Japan? Probably Singapore.

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      Do people understand the material and labor requirements of solar power versus other options?

      Given that the article includes an expected cost for the installation- as well as an estimated break-even time- they do seem to have a good handle on the material and labor cost. In practice, requiring solar panels on new construction is a sensible approach for two reasons. On the one hand, it means the solar panels will be included as part of the original building design and construction, which should reduce the

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        A good test of policy is what happens once it is widely adopted. The arguments related to cost and break even are based on present day realities rather than predictable future ones.

        In the states in some of the most ideologically supportive political environments power companies are altering the deal as we have seen with recent CA NEM 3.0 approvals. The basic issue is utilities supply power, they don't act as free batteries that credit you for power when you don't need it and give you power when you do. T

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          Keep in mind, this is Japan we're talking about., and island country with extremely limited available land area. Other than rooftops, where do you expect PV panels to go? The only other viable option is agri-solar, which is potentially even more expensive since you need to build an entire tall structure to lift the panels clear of farming apparatus.

          Also, I don't know offhand what crops are dominant in Japan, and for some crops in some climates sunlight is a limiting factor on growth, making agrisolar unat

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      Forget the solar panels, how the fuck are they going to build the houses that keep the solar panels out of the dirt? Do people understand how much labor and materials are required to build a house? Where does the timber come from on a tiny island where all the forests are haunted? Where do the pipes come from when all of the metal is needed for throwing stars and Toyotas?

      I grew up in a shoe box, which we burned for heat and cooking-AND THE FIRE WAS BETTER TO WATCH THAN TV! Plus it was carbon neutral and

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        Indeed the haunted forests have been a major obstacle for the Japanese; however, Japanese spirits can be benevolent. For example, have you met my neighbor, Totoro?

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      Solar power, even with todays inefficient panels, is enough to meet 100% of our energy demands. Reference: https://www.freeingenergy.com/... [freeingenergy.com] The biggest benefit is that it eliminates our dependency on the monopolistic OPEC mafia. You are cool with the King of Saudi Arabia waking up on the wrong side of the bed one day and demanding $150 a barrel? He's looking at how much cash you have in your wallet and charging you that whole amount.. knowing you have no choice but to pay.

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        This isn't in doubt. The countries entire energy demands can be met with solar alone, wind alone, nuclear alone...etc. Obviously just because something is possible doesn't make it economically or environmentally the best or even a reasonable course of action.

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    There need to be protections in place if this happens. Many solar companies have started requiring their systems solar and battery systems be connected to the internet. Enphase is a perfect example (https://support.enphase.com/s/question/0D53m00006ySLuRCAW/unimpressed-with-loss-of-local-api-connectivity-to-envoys?fromEmail=1&s1oid=00DA0000000aQ9D&s1nid=0DB2G000000Kz2X&s1uid=0053m00000CfQbs&s1ext=0&emkind=chatterCommentNotification&emtm=1671020160542). They are trying to change their

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    Not a particularly deep or insightful FP, but it doesn't deserve so much negative moderation. Ergo the quoting of the content.

    I did watch the story on NHK World via the Internet. I think your premise is interesting, but many, probably most, countries don't have the resources to afford it. That's mostly financial resources but it also involves some of the necessary infrastructure. If you focus it on high-end housing, then your suggestion would make pretty good sense, and there's even an economic argument tha

• Property taxes should be higher if you do not have solar. This frigging oil and centralized dependency is a national security issue and causing a lot of trouble. No need to fatten up middle eastern sheikhs, we do not want them to get diabetes from being obese. They earned enough from zero intellect, they can do other things now.

  • Re: Need to go further

    Of course we do.

    "You have the right to think before you type... "

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    "Property taxes should be higher if you do not have solar. This frigging oil and centralized dependency is a national security issue and causing a lot of trouble. No need to fatten up middle eastern sheikhs, we do not want them to get diabetes from being obese. They earned enough from zero intellect, they can do other things now."
    was hardly a troll so one wonders who was offended and why.

    Oil has been a national security issue since WWII. That's why the US spent trillions in treasure and thousands of lives d

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      It was modded "troll" because he was trolling, same as you

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    Well they sort of are. From the article, "The metropolitan government estimates that the 980,000 yen ($7,200) initial cost for installation of the 4-kilowatt panels can be covered within 10 years from electricity sales revenue and can be further reduced down to six years with subsidies it will provide." Where do you think those subsidies come from usually? Prop tax maybe? So everyone pays prop tax but those who get panels will get a rebate from the incentive. I just hope they don't do what california just d

• "in a bid to reduce carbon emissions from the household sector"
  "bid to reduce carbon emissions from the household sector"

  If the goal is reducing carbon emissions perusing nuclear or wind are better policies with far higher returns, lower monetary and environmental cost. They are safer to operate and maintain than residential rooftop.

  Residential rooftop is 2x the cost of a PV farm and has inherent weaknesses from shading due to obstructions, inability to benefit from bifacial production, higher ongoing maintenance costs. Roofing costs far more to replace or repair when solar is present. Solar panels deny roof access to firefighters and represent additional fall and fire risks during installation, maintenance and use.

  The better policy is to use the money to fund wind energy projects instead of rooftop solar. Japan has infinite offshore potential.

• For a country known for cramped living conditions, I don't think that 21,500 square foot houses are at all common.

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    From the article, "buildings with a total floor area of less than 2,000 square meters." with the operative words being less than. So pretty much all residential and small commercial. Sort of surprised they did not just say all.