InsideJapan News Network

More than 500 homes in the Japanese city of Ota have received free solar panels as part of a government scheme to prevent electricity blackouts.

Kazuo Nakashima, the city's housing development manager, said the prohibitively high costs of solar panels were an obstacle to a nationwide rollout.

"Through this project, we've cleared technical issues about solar power generation in private homes," he said, adding: "Now the biggest challenge is how to reduce the costs of solar panels and related equipment."

One family, the Hiroshimas, moved to the area lured by the free solar panel offer, reports Portland's Progressive Talk.

Mike Hiroshima described the scheme as "wonderful".

A University in Preston has followed the city's lead by installing more than 250 solar panels on its roofs.

The Lancashire Evening Post reports that the development is believed to be the biggest on a public building in the north-west of England.



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