Official rooftops still won't have solar panels installed, environmental groups disappointed, urge ministries to push energy transition
The encroachment of solar photovoltaic panels onto farmland has sparked controversy. Among this, photovoltaic policy pours the pressure of power generation onto "ground-mounted photovoltaics," while large electricity consumers and public rooftops are exempt from installing green power, drawing widespread criticism. Recently, legislator Hung Sun-han held a public hearing, targeting issues such as the large electricity consumer clause, rooftop installation, and citizen power plants, requiring the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Education, the Council of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs to report on the power generation potential they have each inventoried within their jurisdictions.
However, apart from the Council of Agriculture's inventory of livestock barn rooftops, which received recognition from attending civil society representatives, the remaining ministries remain stalled. The public hearing even devolved into a "complaint session" among the ministries. Environmental groups sharply criticized it as "deeply disappointing," believing that the passive attitude of the various ministries toward promoting photovoltaics will undoubtedly drag down the 2025 energy transition target.
Ministry of Education: Each school is autonomous; school buildings are old and conditions vary; insufficient incentives for vendors
Premier Su Tseng-chang recently announced that the Ministry of Education plans to collaborate with county and city governments before 2022 to install air conditioning in more than three thousand schools nationwide, as well as add rooftop photovoltaic facilities to help schools produce their own green energy and reduce electricity bills. However, Ministry of Education specialist Chiu Jen-chieh stated on the spot that there are difficulties in policy implementation: "Each school has a high degree of autonomy, school building conditions vary, some are old or need seismic reinforcement, and economic incentives are insufficient."
Chiu stated that besides building rooftops, among the current 3,400-plus schools, more than 400 still lack indoor sports spaces. He hopes to combine civil society forces to invest in covered courts with added photovoltaic panels, but vendor willingness is not high.
Ministry of Transportation and Communications: National highway service area installation project has failed bidding eight times; photovoltaic panel installation on national highway slopes still under evaluation
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications pointed out that currently, in coordination with green energy planning, the main project sites are at national highway service areas, railway stations, and national highway slopes. According to the previous Executive Yuan plan for rooftop-type targets of 7.09MW, the first phase target has now been achieved. It is currently planning to install photovoltaic panels at 14 parking lots in national highway service areas, with an estimated capacity of 22MW, but after eight rounds of public bidding, it still failed to attract bidders.
Taiwan Railways and high-speed rail station sites total 11.4MW, of which 7.33MW has been completed. However, the public is focused on whether Taiwan can follow foreign examples and install photovoltaic panels on highway slopes. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is still evaluating safety, considering the damage risk caused by national highway traffic accidents, and this case is still in the planning stage.
Ministry of the Interior: Regulations have been relaxed to allow photovoltaic installation on illegal rooftop structures, but public safety remains the top priority
Kao Wen-ting, section chief of the Building Management Division of the Construction and Planning Agency, who presented on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior, pointed out that according to the two principles planned in October 2017 (Republic of China year 106) when Lai Ching-te served as Premier: "Photovoltaic installation does not exclude existing illegal rooftop structures, and installing photovoltaics does not equal legalization of illegal structures." Kao's presentation mentioned "how renewable energy policy can coexist with illegal structure handling policy," but regarding the widespread illegal rooftop structures or unauthorized modifications among the public, Kao pointed out that the regulatory scope of recognition has already been relaxed.
Kao emphasized that the "Standards for Exemption from Miscellaneous Licenses for Installing Renewable Energy Facilities" have been amended and building regulations on rooftop construction restrictions have been relaxed. However, the Construction and Planning Agency's position remains that "public safety and building safety" are the top priority.
Council of Agriculture: Calling one by one, inventorying the progress of rooftop installation at livestock farms nationwide
Council of Agriculture Senior Technical Specialist Huang Hsin-ta reported that the agricultural sector's original target for rooftops on agricultural facilities was 450MW. By the end of 2019, it had "advanced deployment" completing 1,182MW to make up for the shortfall of ground-mounted photovoltaics.
Currently, the Council of Agriculture has inventoried 1,366 large livestock farms, which can still be expanded by 464MV. There are 3,844 large livestock farms that have not yet installed photovoltaics, and pending Taipower feeder line extension, it is estimated that 1,113MW can be installed. Medium-sized livestock farms are estimated to accommodate an additional 523MW. For fisheries, aquaculture facilities and aquaculture processing centers, collection yards, and wholesale markets have fewer ecological, environmental, and agricultural concerns, so rooftop photovoltaic development will be prioritized.
Taiwan Renewable Energy Action Alliance: "The bidding contracts are unfriendly; I wouldn't be surprised if it fails bidding 70 more times"
Facing the sluggish progress of the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and Ministry of Education in promoting rooftop photovoltaics, Taiwan Renewable Energy Action Alliance chairwoman Kao Ju-ping sharply criticized: "Public rooftops keep failing to attract bidders because the bidding contracts are actually very unfriendly. I wouldn't be surprised if it fails bidding seventy more times."
She gave an example: "The sun in Taoyuan City is clearly different, yet you require it to match Tainan's sunlight levels. The bidding agencies don't think about energy transition, and even demand that waterproofing be done thoroughly and completely." Kao suggested that the Bureau of Energy formulate a vendor-friendly reference template, and angrily denounced school bidding cases as "tantamount to deliberately designing rooftop projects to fail bidding." The Ministry of Education is fully aware of these phenomena, clearly responding passively.
Solar Photovoltaic System Association chairman Tsai Tsung-jung criticized that the Ministry of Education still refuses to face the problem: "There are 3,400 schools with covered courts, but what percentage has been completed? Why has the policy never reached its target? Now when operators build covered courts with solar panels, the Bureau of Energy only gives a 6% incentive, but schools also demand basketball hoops, court line markings, and a whole lot of additional construction. After doing all that, operators are left with only social responsibility." He believes that schools at all levels remain entrenched in departmental selfishness, taking advantage of vendors, and have not seriously considered their responsibility to install green energy on public rooftops.
Citizen of the Earth Foundation: If even public rooftops won't have solar panels installed, how can the energy transition be promoted?
Citizen of the Earth Foundation director Tsai Hui-hsun frankly stated she was "very disappointed" with the ministries' presentations: "What is the total potential? Where exactly is the inventory? Even the Ministry of Economic Affairs hasn't done it. The other ministries are even worse. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications' Freeway Bureau, Taiwan Railways, high-speed rail, and scenic areas combined don't even amount to one-tenth of the Council of Agriculture's inventory of livestock barn rooftops? The Ministry of the Interior only looks at illegal structure regulations? The Ministry of Education only reports the proportion of schools with installations, not the installed area. A whole school with just one building installed also counts, which is clearly suspect of padding numbers."
Tsai asked: "More than 90% of rooftops in Taiwan are empty. Even public rooftops have no solar panels installed. How can the energy transition be promoted?" She could barely conceal her anger, stating that apart from the Council of Agriculture's efforts to inventory livestock barn rooftop installation capacity, the other ministries have essentially handed in blank papers. She believes that this passive attitude of government agencies must bear the greatest responsibility for the sluggish promotion of photovoltaic policy.
Photovoltaic industry operators suggest: Rooftops of illegal factories should be included in photovoltaic development
Regarding the five-year buffer period for the large electricity consumer clause, environmental groups, civil society organizations, and photovoltaic industry operators have also expressed dissatisfaction. Tsai Tsung-jung angrily criticized: "I don't understand where the logic behind this five-year period comes from. Since the 20GW target is to be achieved by 2025, why would the Ministry of Economic Affairs agree to give large electricity consumers a five-year buffer period?"
Tsai also suggested that factories that have obtained specific factory registration certificates under the "Act for Establishment and Administration of Science Parks" should be required to install a certain amount of solar photovoltaics, comparable to large electricity consumers. There are over 1,400 hectares of illegal factory rooftops. After being guided toward legalization, combining them with photovoltaics would also fulfill social responsibility.
Green Citizens' Action Alliance's Wu Cheng-cheng stated that the "large electricity consumer clause" should be implemented as soon as possible. Wu emphasized: "According to the current green energy trend, large electricity consumers will not be able to escape this responsibility in the future. They should be required to prepare now."
Energy industry operator and Solar Photovoltaic Industry Association director Chen Kun-hung proposed: "Farmland prices have reached an average of 30 million per hectare, the highest in the world. Young farmers who want to engage in agriculture find it difficult to acquire land. Operators hope to combine this with sturdy greenhouse subsidies to provide young farmers with a suitable site. Large electricity consumers should not only buy green power; corporate group meal services should also guarantee the purchase of photovoltaic-grown agricultural products."
Environmental groups: The Ministry of Economic Affairs should publicly identify companies boycotting green power, letting public opinion exert influence
Greenpeace Energy Project Special Director Tsai Tu-wei pointed out that promoting solar power generation cannot be based solely on market profit considerations. General residential rooftop ownership is fragmented and difficult to consolidate, and operators' willingness to enter the market for consolidation is low. Therefore, considering only economic incentives will make it difficult to promote the popularization of rooftop photovoltaics. Tsai suggests that the Bureau of Energy should develop a separate strategy for promoting non-scale rooftop photovoltaics.
Leopard Cat Conservation Association specialist Chen Chi-chung believes that "large electricity consumers and factory rooftops should be even more obligated to install photovoltaic panels. TSMC just signed a massive power purchase agreement with a wind power company, demonstrating willingness to take responsibility." The Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs should publicly identify boycotting companies, letting public opinion exert influence and increasing pressure on companies that resist social responsibility.
Hung Sun-han pointed out the complexity of civil society promoting rooftop photovoltaics: "Taiwan's rooftop photovoltaics involve the issue of habitual illegal structures. Additionally, the twenty-year lease was originally a safeguard, but some people want to participate yet cannot guarantee they will own the house for twenty years. If there is inheritance or disputes, it affects homeowners' willingness to rent out their rooftops. In the future, we should study opening up movable project sites."
Citizen power plant promoters: Installation applications should simplify procedures, set up a single window
In the green energy transition, besides the commercial model, there is also the "citizen power plant" model, meaning community organizations, NGO groups, or civil society cooperatives that promote rooftop photovoltaic installation in communities or settlements. Compared to commercial companies, they face more difficult circumstances.
Kao Ju-ping believes that many problems in promoting citizen power plants stem from complicated application procedures. She suggests setting up a single window for citizen power plants, with a reference template, to simplify the entire process.
Chiayi Dalin Citizen Power Plant Cooperative supervisory board chairman Chiang Chih-hung believes that "in rural communities, many rooftops lack usage licenses. If every household in rural areas could install them, it would save energy, reduce carbon, and lower indoor temperatures." Chiang pointed out that Kaohsiung has opened up photovoltaic panel installation on sheet-metal rooftops, but Chiayi has not. According to regulations, installing photovoltaics on rooftop additions requires demolishing the four sides of the added rooftop structure. However, ordinary households use their rooftop for ancestor worship, and tearing down all four sides of the rooftop is impossible. He believes that all counties and cities should follow suit and simplify the review procedures.
Tamsui citizen power plant promoter Hsu Hui-ming stated that citizen power plants are currently just starting out, and having communities and civic groups organize cooperatives to participate has positive significance. There are five cooperatives in the civil sector, such as the Homemakers United Foundation and Ludi Community College, all in the early stages. Instead, the government remains stagnant, conservative, and heavily regulatory. It should loosen restrictions and let civil society flourish.
Public hearing conclusion: All ministries should re-inventory and submit written reports again within two months
Regarding the delay in implementing the large electricity consumer clause, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Tseng Wen-sheng admitted that the green power market still cannot achieve short-term supply: "Whether the actual trading market has this much volume - feed-in tariff power generation has subsidies, so it cannot be counted into green power trading. Actual supply cannot fully meet demand." In other words, current green energy development produces insufficient electricity. Requiring large consumers to switch to green power, in reality, there isn't enough electricity to provide. Tseng added: "Within two years, there will be rolling reviews. The entire mechanism design can create demand through legal regulation."
Legislator Hung Sun-han pointed out after the meeting that the 3GW rooftop target was originally proposed during the Ma administration. Later in 2019, as rooftop targets were achieved ahead of schedule, it was raised to 6GW. However, the various ministries remain conservative in mindset, still setting their targets based on the old 3GW phase target. Hung emphasized that the energy transition is not just the 2025 20GW target. With the global decarbonization trend and green energy procurement trends, it is necessary to further urge all ministries to raise their rooftop photovoltaic targets.
After the public hearing, a conclusion was reached: all ministries should re-inventory their installed capacity targets and potential for solar photovoltaic installation, and submit written reports again within two months.
