The Executive Yuan today approved an incentive subsidy program for private buildings to install rooftop solar panels to help achieve Taiwan’s zero-emission target by 2050, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.
Starting from next year, owners of buildings with roofs smaller than 1,000 square meters can apply for a subsidy of up to NT$3,000 per kilowatt (kW) and NT$300,000 (US$9,251) per project.
The actual subsidy amount is to be determined on a case-by-case basis, Energy Administration Director-General Yu Cheng-wei (游振偉) said.
Photo: Taipei Times
The program, planned to run for four years, is projected to cost NT$4.08 billion and increase rooftop power generation by 1.2 gigawatts (GW).
It is estimated that 120,000 households could benefit from the program.
Taiwan only currently has 13.82GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, according to the ministry.
When compared to ground-mounted systems, rooftop solar is a more mature technology and less controversial.
Previously, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior discussed expanding PV installations to all new or renovated buildings with roofs larger than 1,000 square meters.
For smaller rooftops, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has offered subsidies through feed-in-tariff (FIT) rates, which currently stand at NT$5.7 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), higher than the rate for ground-based systems at NT$3.7 per kwH.
The ministry also said it simplified the application process for households, so that when individuals register their equipment they can simultaneously apply for the subsidy.
The ministry estimates that if program participants apply for about 10kW each, it will increase total rooftop capacity by 1.2GW, which would be 1.5 billion kwH per year.
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