Yesterday, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) settled details of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Scheme for Renewable Energy (RE), including purchase price, purchase period, and surcharge rates.
A day before, in the wake of affirmative preliminary antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) determinations by the Department of Commerce, some Chinese solar cell and panel exporters are said to be planning to evade lawfully owed AD and CVD duties of up to 250 percent, as per the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM).
These present two extremely contrasting cases!
While Japan has a lot to gain from its move to renewable energy, it seems that the US has not learnt from the Solyndra debacle. Also, the US Department of Commerce is said to be investigating and discovering numerous Chinese subsidy programmes, which will likely cause CVD margins to further increase for the final determination and in future reviews. One hopes that the US can move forward and start talking about how to further grow the global RE market.
While so far, the USA was (and is) considered to be the world's largest market for solar PV and other renewable energies, the new market opening up in Japan is a sign of the times! 'Move now, when necessary, rather than wait for others to make you move!'
Japan has made its move following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster on 11 March 2011! As per METI, its scheme requires the Japanese utilities to buy electricity from RE sources at ¥42 for systems of 10kW or more for up to 20 years, which is double the tariff in Germany and over three times that in China. METI's proposal is as follows: Solar power (10 kW or more): 42 yen (40 yen without tax) (for 20 years); wind power (20 kW or more): 23.1 yen (22 yen without tax) (for 20 years); and geothermal power (15,000 kW or more): 27.3 yen (26 yen without tax) (for 15 years).
Now, won't that harness a revolution in solar PV in Japan? It certainly would!
Questions have been raised as to whether Japan will now follow the European example and undermine its domestic industry by buying cheap Chinese solar panels.
That may not be the case! Of course, local players such as Sanyo Electric, Sharp and Kyocera, will be present, while several others may join the fray as well. The Chinese solar manufacturers will be there, certainly. However, one does not see many or any US solar manufacturer in the fray. At least, not yet!
Closer to home, there are folks lamenting that India has lost out in the electronics field. What they should understand is that there needs to be a major entrepreneurial spirit within the people of India, so that they can participate in stiffer challenges. As of now, that spirit seems to be missing! It is felt that Indians, being good businessmen, will come out tops in solar and RE as well, should they go in, full blast.
And now, there is news that a joint effort will be made between Indian and Japanese teams to harness electricity from solar heat, besides electricity generated from solar light using PV.
It is time for the sun to rise, again, from the land of the rising sun!
A day before, in the wake of affirmative preliminary antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) determinations by the Department of Commerce, some Chinese solar cell and panel exporters are said to be planning to evade lawfully owed AD and CVD duties of up to 250 percent, as per the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM).
These present two extremely contrasting cases!
While Japan has a lot to gain from its move to renewable energy, it seems that the US has not learnt from the Solyndra debacle. Also, the US Department of Commerce is said to be investigating and discovering numerous Chinese subsidy programmes, which will likely cause CVD margins to further increase for the final determination and in future reviews. One hopes that the US can move forward and start talking about how to further grow the global RE market.
While so far, the USA was (and is) considered to be the world's largest market for solar PV and other renewable energies, the new market opening up in Japan is a sign of the times! 'Move now, when necessary, rather than wait for others to make you move!'
Japan has made its move following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster on 11 March 2011! As per METI, its scheme requires the Japanese utilities to buy electricity from RE sources at ¥42 for systems of 10kW or more for up to 20 years, which is double the tariff in Germany and over three times that in China. METI's proposal is as follows: Solar power (10 kW or more): 42 yen (40 yen without tax) (for 20 years); wind power (20 kW or more): 23.1 yen (22 yen without tax) (for 20 years); and geothermal power (15,000 kW or more): 27.3 yen (26 yen without tax) (for 15 years).
Now, won't that harness a revolution in solar PV in Japan? It certainly would!
Questions have been raised as to whether Japan will now follow the European example and undermine its domestic industry by buying cheap Chinese solar panels.
That may not be the case! Of course, local players such as Sanyo Electric, Sharp and Kyocera, will be present, while several others may join the fray as well. The Chinese solar manufacturers will be there, certainly. However, one does not see many or any US solar manufacturer in the fray. At least, not yet!
Closer to home, there are folks lamenting that India has lost out in the electronics field. What they should understand is that there needs to be a major entrepreneurial spirit within the people of India, so that they can participate in stiffer challenges. As of now, that spirit seems to be missing! It is felt that Indians, being good businessmen, will come out tops in solar and RE as well, should they go in, full blast.
And now, there is news that a joint effort will be made between Indian and Japanese teams to harness electricity from solar heat, besides electricity generated from solar light using PV.
It is time for the sun to rise, again, from the land of the rising sun!
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