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Tokyo to require new homes be fitted with solar panels from FY 2025

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Kyodo News

<p>TOKYO - The Tokyo metropolitan government said Thursday it will introduce a system requiring newly built homes to be fitted with solar panels from fiscal 2025 in a bid to reduce carbon emissions from the household sector.</p><p>The first mandate of its kind in Japan comes as a revised ordinance on environmental security to introduce the system was passed Thursday by a majority vote on the final day of a regular Tokyo metropolitan assembly session.</p><p>According to the metropolitan government, major housing construction firms will be required to install solar panels on buildings with a total floor area of less than 2,000 square meters.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/12/01/22/how-film-and-tv-can-help-the-climate-change-battle">How film and TV can help the climate change battle</a></li></ul><p>Home buyers will also be required to cooperate, and those privately contracting the construction of a residence 2,000 square meters or more will be obligated to fit it with solar panels.</p><p>The system will take effect in April 2025 after residents have been informed and preparations have been made with relevant businesses.</p><p>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.</p><p>Subsidies for the initial costs will also be provided to leasing firms to reduce the burden on home buyers, the metropolitan government said.</p><p>Tokyo has set a goal to halve carbon emissions by 2030 from the level of those in 2000. A supplementary budget of 116.2 billion yen was also approved for the scheme, including subsidies for installing the panels.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/14/22/more-financing-needed-for-imf-climate-change-fund-director">More financing needed for IMF climate change fund: director</a></li></ul><p>The revised ordinance was approved by the local Tomin First no Kai party, of which Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike is a special advisor, as well as the coalition partner of Japan&#x27;s ruling party, Komeito, and the Japanese Communist Party, among others.</p><p>But the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the largest in the Tokyo assembly, was opposed to the requirement as &quot;residents had not fully understood or accepted it.&quot;</p><p>Koike said she wanted to promote decarbonization efforts and &quot;go forward while deepening everybody&#x27;s understanding.&quot;</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1862498" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The first mandate of its kind in Japan comes as a revised ordinance on environmental security to introduce the system was passed Thursday.