Draft rules on solar energy installations in Taiwan published

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) Draft regulations stipulating what circumstances a building needs to install solar power facilities under Taiwan's Renewable Energy Development Act were published on Friday, with places of worship among those exempted, an official told CNA.

The draft regulations were published to allow for a 60-day public consultation period before the Cabinet signs off on the rules that aim to provide clear requirements under Article 12-1 of the act, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said in a statement issued the same day.

Article 12-1 was added in June 2023 as part of the government's plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the statement said.

New buildings that have a floor area of 1,000 square meters or more at ground level will be required to install solar power equipment that can generate electricity of one kilowatt every 20 square meters, an official from the ministry's National Land Management Agency told CNA on Sunday.

The same applies to additions or renovations of existing buildings, the official said.

Buildings exempt from the solar energy requirements in the draft regulations include those classified as places of worship and places used for funerals or burials, in consideration of the potential impact on traditional culture.

Facilities used to manufacture, package, distribute or store hazardous items or flammable gases are also exempt due to public safety concerns, according to the published draft regulations.

In addition, builders can apply for an exemption by providing assessments showing that installing solar energy facilities would not be economical, or government documents stating installing such facilities would be difficult due to structural or other issues, according to the draft regulations.

The draft regulations also include the minimum kilowatt-hours per year deemed efficient for the solar power facility installation -- 543 kWh in the cities of Keelung, New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, and the counties of Hsinchu, Miaoli, Yilan and Hualien.

The minimum electricity to be generated is set at 579 kWh for Taitung County, while 625 kWh is the standard for the other cities and counties, considering the various levels of sunshine in different parts of Taiwan, the officials said.