The economy ministry plans to introduce a system in which electric power generated by solar panels on the roofs of company buildings, factories and warehouses will be purchased at 20% higher prices than power generated from panels on the ground.
There are a limited number of places where solar panels can be installed, so the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry is aiming to encourage the proliferation of renewable energy sources through the use of roof space.
Solar power facilities have rapidly increased due to the system of purchasing electric power from them at fixed prices, a practice that began in 2012. Japan now has the world's highest capacity of installed facilities for its land area, but the remaining land plots suitable for newly installing solar panels are small.
