Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan yesterday urged the government to require the installation of solar panels on new buildings that have a surface area of 300m2 or more to bolster the nation’s use of renewable energy.
The organization made the statement at a joint news conference in Taipei with other environmental groups to announce the launch of a petition in support of proposed regulatory changes.
The Ministry of the Interior is drafting an amendment to the Renewable Energy Development Act (再生能源發展條例) to require photovoltaic panels to be installed on all new or refurbished structures with a surface area equal to or greater than 1,000m2.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan member Cheng Tai-chin (鄭泰鈞) said the measures would not go far enough, while the foundation’s plan would put solar panels on 80 percent of new roof space.
The panels would generate an estimated 270 megawatt per year, enough to power 62,000 households and reduce the amount of land needed for solar farm construction by 220 hectares, he said.
On the other hand, the ministry’s plan would only generate enough power to supply 42,000 households and save just 170 hectares of land, Cheng said.
Tsai Huei-hsun (蔡卉荀), another member of the organization, said that cities should not be allowed to continue consuming 70 percent of total electricity production while pushing the responsibility of building renewables onto rural communities.
Although renewables are urgently needed to counter climate change, backlash from local residents against solar farm construction has been significant, said Tai Hsing-sheng (戴興盛), a professor of natural resources and environmental studies at National Dong Hwa University.
Using rooftop solar panels means fewer new solar farms would be needed, reducing the unwanted social impact of construction, he said.
Taiwan Climate Action Network chairman Chao Chia-wei (趙家緯) said the EU’s standards, to be implemented in 2026, are for solar panels to be installed on all new public and commercial buildings with a surface area larger than 250m2.
Taiwan must not allow weak regulations to undo its achievement of being the first country in Asia to pass a law mandating the use of solar panels, he said.
Moreover, the nation’s carbon neutrality goal would be jeopardized if rooftop solar panel energy production failed to reach the key 50 gigawatt target, Chao said.
An alleged US government plan to encourage Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to form a joint venture with Intel to boost US chipmaking would place the Taiwanese foundry giant in a more disadvantageous position than proposed tariffs on imported chips, a semiconductor expert said yesterday. If TSMC forms a joint venture with its US rival, it faces the risk of technology outflow, said Liu Pei-chen (劉佩真), a researcher at the Taiwan Industry Economics Database of the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. A report by international financial services firm Baird said that Asia semiconductor supply chain talks suggest that the US government would
ANNUAL LIGHT SHOW: The lanterns are exhibited near Taoyuan’s high-speed rail station and around the Taoyuan Sports Park Station of the airport MRT line More than 400 lanterns are to be on display at the annual Taiwan Lantern Festival, which officially starts in Taoyuan today. The city is hosting the festival for the second time — the first time was in 2016. The Tourism Administration held a rehearsal of the festival last night. Chunghwa Telecom donated the main lantern of the festival to the Taoyuan City Government. The lanterns are exhibited in two main areas: near the high-speed rail (HSR) station in Taoyuan, which is at the A18 station of the Taoyuan Airport MRT, and around the Taoyuan Sports Park Station of the MRT
Starlux Airlines on Tuesday announced it is to launch new direct flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Ontario, California, on June 2. The carrier said it plans to deploy the new-generation Airbus A350 on the Taipei-Ontario route. The Airbus A350 features a total of 306 seats, including four in first class, 26 in business class, 36 in premium economy and 240 in economy. According to Starlux’s initial schedule, four flights would run between Taoyuan and Ontario per week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Flights are to depart from Taoyuan at 8:05pm and arrive in California at 5:05pm (local time), while return flights
Nearly 800 Indian tourists are to arrive this week on an incentive tour organized by Indian company Asian Painted Ltd, making it the largest tour group from the South Asian nation to visit since the COVID-19 pandemic. The travelers are scheduled to arrive in six batches from Sunday to Feb. 25 for five-day tours, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The tour would take the travelers, most of whom are visiting Taiwan for the first time, to several tourist sites in Taipei and Yilan County, including tea houses in Taipei’s Maokong (貓空), Dadaocheng (大稻埕) and Ximending (西門町) areas. They would also visit