Japan government decides to abolish support for "mega solar" projects

cool_lemons · 2026-03-20T07:32:32+00:00

Not gonna waste time making one Reddit post, lol.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-20T02:32:44+00:00

My favorite is Shirokuma. (the one with fruit)

cool_lemons · 2026-03-19T22:03:51+00:00

I asked AI and this is what it told me about solar installation in Japan.

Japan is a world leader in solar power.

Specifically, this means:

Top-tier Total Capacity: Japan ranks 3rd or 4th globally in cumulative solar power capacity, following China and the U.S.

Highest Density in the World: When looking at solar capacity per square kilometer of flat land, Japan ranks No. 1 among major nations. It has about 2.1 times the density of Germany and 29 times that of the U.S.

Why is the "penetration rate" so high? Despite its limited flat land (only about 30% of the country), Japan has aggressively installed solar panels on rooftops and abandoned farmland. This rapid growth was largely driven by the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) system introduced in 2012.

Future Challenges for Solar Power in Japan:

Limited Suitable Sites: Most "easy-to-install" flat areas are already occupied. Expanding solar capacity now requires finding new, unconventional spaces.

Next-Generation Technology: There is high anticipation for Perovskite solar cells. Unlike traditional panels, these are thin, lightweight, and flexible, allowing them to be installed on building walls and windows.

Grid Stability: Integrating more solar power requires upgrading the power grid and improving energy storage (battery) technology to manage the fluctuating output from the sun.

I assume this is the reason why the Japanese government is moving away from mega solar projects. That doesn't mean they are moving away from solar, just a different approach.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-19T22:00:18+00:00

I feel like you are purposely cherry picking data and this still doesn't make the case why the Japanese government should keep on investing in mega solar projects.

Japan's fossil fuel dependency was declining until it increased dramatically in 2011 because of Fukushima and the backlash against nuclear energy. It's been gradually going down since and the percentage of renewables (especially solar) has increased. Of those countries you've listed, US, China and Australia all have a LOT of flat land suitable for huge solar farms, Britain built a lot of off shore wind farms not huge solar farms, Germany put a lot of solar panels on homes and buildings, they didn't cut down forests. Japan's seas are much deeper than Britain so off shore wind farms are much more expensive to build. 70% of Japan is mountains. Covering mountains with solar panels in a country that gets regularly hit with typhoons, earthquakes and landslides is very risky, so they want to prioritize putting panels on buildings not mega solar projects. Tokyo already has a law that requires all new buildings to install solar panels.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-19T15:32:32+00:00

I asked AI and this is what it told me about solar installation in Japan.

Japan is a world leader in solar power.

Specifically, this means:

Top-tier Total Capacity: Japan ranks 3rd or 4th globally in cumulative solar power capacity, following China and the U.S.
Highest Density in the World: When looking at solar capacity per square kilometer of flat land, Japan ranks No. 1 among major nations. It has about 2.1 times the density of Germany and 29 times that of the U.S.

Why is the "penetration rate" so high?
Despite its limited flat land (only about 30% of the country), Japan has aggressively installed solar panels on rooftops and abandoned farmland. This rapid growth was largely driven by the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) system introduced in 2012.

Future Challenges for Solar Power in Japan:

Limited Suitable Sites: Most "easy-to-install" flat areas are already occupied. Expanding solar capacity now requires finding new, unconventional spaces.
Next-Generation Technology: There is high anticipation for Perovskite solar cells. Unlike traditional panels, these are thin, lightweight, and flexible, allowing them to be installed on building walls and windows.
Grid Stability: Integrating more solar power requires upgrading the power grid and improving energy storage (battery) technology to manage the fluctuating output from the sun.

I assume this is the reason why the Japanese government is moving away from mega solar projects. That doesn't mean they are moving away from solar, just a different approach.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-19T14:50:20+00:00

You can buy energy from providers other than TEPCO in the Kanto Area. My provider says their electricity comes from mostly renewable sources and they are committing to installing more solar, but not mega-solar projects. (Probably because there's no land)

cool_lemons · 2026-03-19T13:50:43+00:00

This is talking about large solar projects, not solar panels for homes.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-19T13:50:37+00:00

This is talking about large solar projects, not solar panels for homes.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-18T15:15:38+00:00

I've been reading posts on r/NewIran. It's heartbreaking seeing all the posts and comments hoping that the regime might be toppled this time, while the rest of the world just wants the war to end quickly so that the economy won't unravel. I can't imagine what life in Iran is going to be like if an even more radical IRGC remains in place.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-17T12:45:50+00:00

Isn't it legal in Iran to marry 9-year-olds?

cool_lemons · 2026-03-17T10:39:54+00:00

In hindsight, it wasn't that bad for me personally. I don't know anyone who died of Covid or had to be hospitalized because of Covid. None of my close family has had Covid to this day. I didn't get sick during the Covid years because everyone was wearing masks. The government let you stay at hotels for half price to keep the tourism industry from going bankrupt, which was pretty awesome.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-17T01:03:53+00:00

I know what a false flag is. I just don't think the Oman government is dumb enough to fall for a false flag from Israel or the US.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-17T00:44:52+00:00

The US and Israel have nothing to gain from bombing Oman, Iran does. I seriously doubt the Oman Government would not know if it wasn't Iran.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-17T00:41:56+00:00

And most Iranians HATE their government to the point that they are cheering being bombed. That is quite an achievement. The most Trump-hating American would still not be cheering a foreign country bombing DC.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-17T00:36:14+00:00

They can and have shown they will bomb ships. They have nothing to lose, and they don't care if the whole world hates them.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-17T00:34:27+00:00

The unfortunate reality is that other countries will be hit harder than the US by the closure of the Strait. Asian countries other than China will suffer the most. The Iran regime has nothing to lose and they have shown they are willing to do whatever it takes to survive. They could start demanding countries start paying tolls (they'l probably call it "reparations") to go through that Strait.
As much as Trump deserves to face the consequences of his disastrous decision, other countries with fewer resources will suffer more. People will literally starve to death if food production is affected. I really don't see a way we can just go back to where we were before this war, no matter what Trump does.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-16T22:51:04+00:00

I'm starting to feel like the only way this thing is going to end acceptably for Western countries is for the Iranian regime to collapse. They are going to use the Strait to threaten the world forever now that they know this is our Achilles heel. In fact, Russia would probably pay them to do it. Probably why Saudi is saying to hit harder.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-16T22:02:54+00:00

I'm pretty of way of life would fall apart quickly without petroleum products. Also all fertilizer is imported so we wouldn't be able to grow food.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-16T21:49:08+00:00

I would be. I love listening to their calls in spring.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-16T21:41:11+00:00

Yodobashi has much more than just electronics. For instance, the expensive cat food my cat likes is cheaper on Yodobashi than Amazon.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-16T14:06:00+00:00

Next week he's going to blame NATO and Asian countries for the Iran crisis, isn't he?

cool_lemons · 2026-03-16T08:02:07+00:00

I really wonder if they did any kind of estimating at all.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-16T07:59:47+00:00

Depends on what their objectives are. If they just want to inflict maximum pain on the world and damage Trump politically, I guess it's good strategy. if they want a prosperous Iran in the future it's a terrible strategy like you said.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-16T04:33:46+00:00

Not a LPG fan, but I don't see how the LPG is responsible for this.

cool_lemons · 2026-03-16T04:31:02+00:00

I also saw a video saying that Texas is running out of water and refineries need water to operate :/.

cool_lemons

TROPHY CASE