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Friday, 18th May 2012
In General Japan News,
Solar power shining bright in Japan
The use of solar power as an energy source is on the increase in Japan, with new figures showing that shipments of photovoltaic equipment climbed 38 per cent between January and March this year.
Figures from the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association published today revealed that for the 12 months ending March 31st, the residential solar energy market grew by 40 per cent, Bloomberg reported.
This means that a total of 1,206 megawatts were generated during the period, but this figure is forecast to double in the year ahead.
According to the association's chairman Mikio Katayama, by March 2013 domestic solar shipments will have surpassed the 2,500-megawatt mark.
The news is well timed, with the Japanese government advising citizens to cut down on their energy consumption as the country switches off the vast majority of its nuclear power stations.
A total of 50 reactors have been take offline following the Fukushima disaster last year, and the government believes that energy use needs to be cut by 15 per cent to prevent shortages.
Written by Susan Ballion
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