(Japanese) Solar cell shipments hit record high

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20090907a1.html

Monday, Sept. 7, 2009

Solar cell shipments hit record high

Kyodo News

Demand for solar cells has been growing rapidly, with equipment capable of generating a record 83,260 kilowatts shipped to the domestic market between April and June, up 82.5 percent from the same quarter last year, a private-sector survey showed Sunday.

The survey by the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association found that more than 90 percent of the solar cells shipped during the quarter were for individual household use, indicating that approximately 20,000 households installed solar power generation systems.

The rapid increase came amid growing public awareness of global warming and government efforts to promote solar power, including the resumption in January of subsidies for consumers planning to install solar systems. The subsidies had been suspended in fiscal 2006.

The Democratic Party of Japan plans to initiate a system to enable power companies to buy electricity produced by households as an incentive for solar cell purchases.

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