Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan yesterday urged the government to require the installation of solar panels on new buildings that have a surface area of 300m2 or more to bolster the nation’s use of renewable energy.
The organization made the statement at a joint news conference in Taipei with other environmental groups to announce the launch of a petition in support of proposed regulatory changes.
The Ministry of the Interior is drafting an amendment to the Renewable Energy Development Act (再生能源發展條例) to require photovoltaic panels to be installed on all new or refurbished structures with a surface area equal to or greater than 1,000m2.
Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan member Cheng Tai-chin (鄭泰鈞) said the measures would not go far enough, while the foundation’s plan would put solar panels on 80 percent of new roof space.
The panels would generate an estimated 270 megawatt per year, enough to power 62,000 households and reduce the amount of land needed for solar farm construction by 220 hectares, he said.
On the other hand, the ministry’s plan would only generate enough power to supply 42,000 households and save just 170 hectares of land, Cheng said.
Tsai Huei-hsun (蔡卉荀), another member of the organization, said that cities should not be allowed to continue consuming 70 percent of total electricity production while pushing the responsibility of building renewables onto rural communities.
Although renewables are urgently needed to counter climate change, backlash from local residents against solar farm construction has been significant, said Tai Hsing-sheng (戴興盛), a professor of natural resources and environmental studies at National Dong Hwa University.
Using rooftop solar panels means fewer new solar farms would be needed, reducing the unwanted social impact of construction, he said.
Taiwan Climate Action Network chairman Chao Chia-wei (趙家緯) said the EU’s standards, to be implemented in 2026, are for solar panels to be installed on all new public and commercial buildings with a surface area larger than 250m2.
Taiwan must not allow weak regulations to undo its achievement of being the first country in Asia to pass a law mandating the use of solar panels, he said.
Moreover, the nation’s carbon neutrality goal would be jeopardized if rooftop solar panel energy production failed to reach the key 50 gigawatt target, Chao said.
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