Solar Power in the Land of the Rising Sun - Staz and Industry Colleagues Tour Japan to View Solar Energy Industry

Sharon Staz, general manager and treasurer of the Kennebunk Light and Power District in southern Maine, realized a childhood dream this summer. She was selected by the American Public Power Association (APPA) to represent U.S. consumer-owned electric utilities on a tour of Japan, where she was able to briefly immerse herself in Japanese culture and history while learning about the growing importance of solar power in the country’s energy mix.

The trip, organized by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), was the third such tour of countries whose governments are making major commitments to solar power development through financial and tax incentives, feed-in tariffs and support of research on new solar technologies. Previous tours took similar groups to Germany and Spain.

The group assembled to visit Japan included 23 participants representing public, private and cooperative U.S. utilities, the federal Department of Energy, research organizations and trade groups, along with staff from SEPA. During their week in Japan, they visited government agencies, research centers and universities and private companies involved in solar energy projects in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

Electricity costs are very high in Japan due to a need to import all the coal and oil to fuel generating plants. Government policy, therefore, seeks to transition away from imported fossil fuels for electric generation and move to more nuclear and renewable energy sources. A very aggressive goal of reaching 28 gigawatts of solar power by the year 2020 has been established by the government, with most of this coming in the form of small rooftop installations on residential and commercial buildings. To achieve this, a variety of financial incentives have been implemented and some of the nation’s largest commercial and business enterprises have already made major investments in new solar projects.

For Sharon Staz, the trip fulfilled a lifetime dream of visiting Japan. Fascinated since her early childhood by Japanese culture, she was honored and thrilled when she received the invitation to represent APPA on the tour. While she was her usual diligent self in attending and participating in all official tour briefings and visits, she also took some personal time to visit historical sites, observe Japanese customs and lifestyles and do some shopping away from the big malls and tourist stops. She was very impressed by the work ethic demonstrated by the Japanese, whom she often found at offices late into the evening. She was also fascinated by the country’s advanced high-speed rail system, as well as practical use of space evidenced in houses and apartments much smaller than American residences. It is common, she said, for families to use a single room as a combination bedroom, family room and storage area during a single day.

As general manager of a small American utility which works hard to keep electric rates low for its customers, she also found Japanese utility officials have a longer view of costs and benefits in planning for the future. There appears to be, she said, a greater willingness to invest in new and cleaner technologies despite their higher cost, since Japanese society as a whole will benefit from these investments.

Looking back on her Japanese experience, Sharon is personally and professionally gratified. She is also enthused about bringing more solar energy to her own utility, if she can marshall the technical, financial and political support required. Having seen what can be done when government policies and private investments work toward the same goals, she now knows what is possible. The United States and its electric utilities, she said, have much to learn from the "Land of the Rising Sun."