The Ministry of the Interior’s Standards for Installing Photovoltaic Power Systems on Buildings is to take effect on Aug. 1, with officials estimating that it would add about 660 megawatts of new capacity annually.
The measure is expected to increase rooftop solar development, with companies including Sino-American Silicon Products Inc (中美晶), United Renewable Energy Co (聯合再生), Motech Industries Inc (茂迪), Gintech Energy Corp (元晶), Alpha Solar Corp (安集) and Gintung Energy Corp (聚恆) preparing for related projects.
The Sustainable Solar Development Association said that the policy could help meet growing demand for electricity from the semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors and improve urban resilience.
Photo courtesy of the Pingtung County Government
Under the new regulations, newly constructed, expanded or renovated buildings with a floor area of more than 1,000 square meters would be required to install solar photovoltaic systems.
Sino-American Silicon Products said its Yilan-based subsidiary Ever Energy is developing low-orbit satellite-related applications while continuing to develop its rooftop solar business. It added that its fire-resistant modules are in mass production.
Alpha Solar chairman Huang Kuo-tung (黃國棟) said the company focuses on rooftop solar products using building-integrated photovoltaic materials.
The modules are designed to function as building materials and are fire-resistant, waterproof and walkable, he said.
The company said the products are in small-scale shipments and could be installed on rooftops and exterior walls.
Motech Industries produces building-integrated photovoltaic products, including tile-type modules, floor and wall panels and colored glass modules.
Gintung Energy chairman Chou Heng-hao (周恒豪) said the company obtained TUV Rheinland operations and maintenance certification in Germany 10 years ago, the first EPC firm in Taiwan to do so.
The company operates a 24-hour monitoring system for solar plants and provides maintenance, diagnostics and upgrade services for underperforming facilities, he said.
Rooftop solar installation on buildings is already a common regulatory requirement in many countries, the Solar Energy Sustainable Development Association said.
It added that the electricity generated could help meet local demand and support industries with high power consumption, including semiconductor and AI supply chains, while also helping companies comply with carbon reduction requirements under initiatives such as RE100 and the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
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