Enercan West

Japan has increased its total clean energy capacity by some 1.4MW in the last 3 quarters of 2012, according to reports in Bloomberg, which suggest this is the latest attempt by the authorities to shift away from nuclear.

The latest increase has been driven mainly by the development of solar power, which now accounts for roughly one-third of total renewable energy generation in Japan. Some 958MW of the new developments are attributed to solar, with the remaining 570MW coming from wind power sources.

In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, the Japanese government has taken steps towards rebalancing the nation’s sources of energy. New measures have seen a sharp rise in solar and wind renewable energy technologies, which analysts say now totals a combined capacity of almost 27MW.

The increase in renewable energy capacity has been welcomed by environmentalists and anti-nuclear campaigners alike, with both keen to press for alternatives to the historical Japanese energy mix. Some are now hoping Japanese progress will inspire other governments to reclaim the initiative on clean energy generation.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Yergin, who wrote the seminal environmental text ‘The Prize’, said that the move showed a strong commitment to the environment and Japanese energy security for the future.

“Governments need to take action on renewables to make wholesale changes to the environment. Particularly in light of recent events there, the Japanese move towards a more secure energy future will not only help protect the environment, but will also maintain capacity for generations to come in a clean, sustainable way.”

The Japanese government has been approving applications for investment in renewable projects nationwide sine July 2012, when a schedule of incentives was launched to encourage the development of green energy technologies.

The incentives program follows on from Fukushima, one of the worst nuclear incidents in history, which was caused by the effects of the Asian tsunami of March 2011. The incident was regarded as one of the most serious nuclear incidents ever, as only the second incident ever to record a Level 7 in terms of the International Nuclear Event Scale.

Prior to Fukushima, Japan was heavily reliant on nuclear power, with as much as 30% of the nation’s energy needs generated from nuclear sources. Now, the program of subsidies and incentives is aiming to radically change that mix.

Drawing inspiration from the Japanese situation, other countries including Germany have now started to switch support from nuclear power sources to safer, more sustainable means of generating energy.

In fact, Germany’s new energy policy gives the country less than a decade to overhaul its energy structure, with 2022 the predicted culmination of the so-called ‘Energiewende’ (or ‘energy revolution’).

The movement of Japanese and German governments on renewables could have a significant impact on energy costs globally. Increases in capacity lead to corresponding reductions in energy prices, with solar power showing one of the most significant correlations.

In the 1980s Japan led the world in embracing solar energy and other forms of renewables – decades before the present impetus. With green energy capacity already heading substantially in the right direction, it looks as though Japan might repeat the feat today for a more sustainable, secure, nuclear-free energy future.