Taiwan aims to fit 100,000 roofs with solar panels

The government will announce this month wholesale prices of electricity generated from renewable sources that will ensure profits for producers, Wang Yunn-ming, deputy director-general of the Bureau of Energy, said by telephone today.

“We hope the growth in solar energy will speed up, now there's incentives,” Wang said in Taipei. The government aims to install 1,000 megawatts in solar-power capacity by 2025, compared with 5 megawatts currently, he said.

The government encourages the use of renewable energy such as the wind and sun to help cut greenhouse-gas emissions and imports of energy, with lawmakers approving the Renewable Energy Development Act this year. President Ma Ying-jeou, who took office in May last year, has pledged to cut emissions to 2000 levels by 2025.

More than 400 buildings in Taiwan have installed solar panels, Wang said. The government pays as much as half of the cost of installation, he said. An average home on the island needs about 5 kilowatts.

Taiwan imports about 99 percent of its energy supplies.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email