In order to use renewable energy without waste, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has a policy to create a new mechanism to encourage businesses and households to use electricity during times when supply is expected to increase, such as during the daytime when the amount of solar power generation is high.
We will revise the Energy Conservation Law to require electric power companies to introduce new tariff plans.
The amount of electricity generated by renewable energy depends on the weather, and power companies may perform "output control" to suspend the acceptance of electricity in order to avoid imbalance if the supply increases too much.
In order to avoid such waste and make effective use of renewable energy, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry revised the Energy Conservation Law and companies are engaged in times when supply is expected to increase, such as during the daytime when the weather is sunny and the amount of solar power generation is high. Our policy is to create a new mechanism to encourage households and households to use electricity.
Specifically, we request electric power companies to introduce new tariff plans, such as lowering electricity tariffs during times when power generation increases.
▽ In addition, it is an obligation for home appliance manufacturers to make efforts to equip new products such as air conditioners and water heaters with a function that automatically adjusts to operation during times when power is high.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to submit a "Revised Energy Conservation Bill" that incorporates these details to the ordinary Diet session next year.
Solar power generation that is wasted by "output control"
Photovoltaic power generation is a representative of renewable energy.
It cannot generate electricity at night and produces a lot of electricity during sunny days.
While the performance of storage batteries is limited, power may lose power in the worst case if the balance between supply and demand is lost.
When the weather is blessed and the amount of solar power generated increases significantly and exceeds the demand for electricity, the electric power company may perform "output control" to suspend the acceptance of electricity to avoid imbalance.
Output control was implemented for the first time in Japan in October 2018, except for remote islands, in Kyushu, where the amount of solar power generated is high.
This year, it has been carried out 62 times by the end of November, and the cumulative total up to the 11th has reached 222 times, and it has been pointed out that "power generation from renewable energy is wasted."
The government has set a goal of doubling the proportion of renewable energy in 2030 to "36% to 38%" of the total power source composition.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is considering efforts to shift demand as much as possible during times of high supply in order to waste renewable energy.