Beginning in 2025, Tokyo will be a leader for housing projects

According to Kyodo News, solar panels will need to be installed in many new Tokyo homes starting in April 2025. Japan has always been a leader when it comes to enviroment and tech and now the country has some new plans for housing projects.

Beginning in 2025, Tokyo will be a leader for housing projects

New rules were passed by the local assembly that require major construction companies to install solar panels or other renewable power sources in homes smaller than 2,000 square meters (21,500 square feet). The action is the first of its sort in Japan and plans to slice the city's fossil fuel byproducts down the middle.

Based on utility bill savings and an existing 100,000 yen (728 yen) per kW grant, the government estimates that the 980,000 yen (7,200 yen) cost of a 4kW installation can be recouped in approximately six years. An information-packed slide deck (PDF) states that other subsidies will also reduce leasing costs.

It is unclear what proportion of new homes will be subject to the new regulations because the measure only applies to approximately 50 builders who supply more than 20,000 square meters (215,000 square feet) to the market. The Tokyo government estimates that half of the existing buildings—70 percent of which are homes—will be replaced by new construction by 2050, so the measure should have a significant impact.