New Buildings Meeting Roof-Area Threshold to Be Required to Install Solar PV Ministry of the Interior Expects to Pre-Announce Draft Regulations by Year-End

As part of the government's drive towards its 2050 net-zero emissions target, the Ministry of the Interior is preparing new regulations in line with amendments to the Renewable Energy Development Act. Under the proposed rules, newly constructed, extended or reconstructed buildings with a roof area above a specified threshold would be required to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The draft regulations are expected to be pre-announced for public consultation by the end of the year.

Chu Ching-lun, Chief Secretary of the National Land Management Agency, Ministry of the Interior, said: "We have held eight meetings so far, and the draft is now largely complete. Installation will be mandatory, and there is relatively broad consensus on setting the threshold at 1,000 square metres."

Environmental groups, however, have questioned the proposed threshold, arguing that buildings of this size account for only 6% of building permits issued, meaning that 94% of new buildings would be exempt from the requirement. They have called for the threshold to be lowered to 300 square metres to bring more buildings within the scope of the regulations.

Cheng Tai-chun, a campaigner at Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan, said: "If we do not start expanding rooftop solar now, it will in practice place even greater pressure on agricultural and fishing communities to accommodate solar installations. If the rooftop-area threshold could be lowered to 300 square metres, it would make a significant contribution to Taiwan's overall electricity generation, providing enough power to meet the electricity needs of around 70,000 households."

Kao Wen-ting, Director of the Building Administration Division at the National Land Management Agency, Ministry of the Interior, said: "Once the policy has been introduced on a stable footing, we can conduct regular rolling reviews to assess whether there is scope to lower the threshold and broaden its application. The 1,000-square-metre threshold was determined through calculations and simulations. Although the figure of 6% refers to the proportion of individual cases, those cases actually account for around 60% of total roof coverage. We also hope that the relevant business models will gradually develop."

The property industry has raised concerns that mandatory solar panel installation would increase construction costs. Industry representatives have urged the government to introduce supporting measures to prevent those additional costs from ultimately being passed on to consumers and adding further pressure to house prices.

Chen Tai-yuan, Manager of the Exclusive Listing Department at Liansheng Real Estate, said: "Construction costs will inevitably increase, and those costs will of course eventually be reflected in house prices. The government should introduce supporting measures. In other words, if installation and replacement are mandatory, there should also be subsidies, incentives or other additional benefits. These added costs and benefits could contribute to expectations of a further rise in house prices."

The National Land Management Agency, Ministry of the Interior, added that solar PV should be regarded as both an energy source and a resource, and that the investment has the potential to pay for itself. The agency therefore said developers should not use the requirement as a reason to pass the additional costs on to consumers.

News source: Public Television Service (PTS)