Taiwan reduces solar power feed-in tariffs

Taiwan reduced the feed-in tariffs for solar power for 2011 by approximately 30 per cent from 2010 levels. This is due to the falling cost of solar photovoltaics installation equipment.


State-run Taiwan Power will now pay US$ 0.2518 per kilowatt-hour for power generated from ground mounted solar installations, compared with US$ 0.3821 for 2010, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement on January 28th. The 2011 price for roof-top solar power is as high as US$0.3546.


Solar cell prices may decline 10 to 15 per cent this year, said Chang Ping-heng, chief executive officer of Motech Industries, Taiwan’s biggest solar cell maker by market value. Global annual capacity to produce solar cells may climb to as much as 30GW in 2011, Chang said December 1st.

“Solar power costs may fall further,” Hwang Jung-chiou, vice minister of economic affairs, said in a press conference in Taipei today.

Feed-in tariffs are at least US$0.3821 for PV solar panels installed in 2010, the Bureau of Energy said in a statement on its website in December 2009.

President Ma Ying-jeou has pledged to cut emissions to 2000 levels by 2025. Lawmakers approved the island’s Renewable Energy Development Act in 2009.