Japan’s Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) Market: Business Opportunities for Canadian Companies

February 19, 2014 (12:00 - 1:30 pm)
JETRO Toronto
181 University Ave., Ste. 1600, Toronto, ON, M5H3M7
Free of charge / light lunch provided (RSVP Required)
Please RSVP by February 14 to Tyson Garbe (T: 416-861-0000 x 227; Tyson_Garbe@jetro.go.jp)

Main Speakers

Outline of Japan’s FIT Market
- Elisabeth DeMarco, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
(with support from Norton Rose Fulbright office in Japan; presentation not available)

Solar Power Network - Canadian company success story
- Duff McCourt, Director of Communications, Solar Power Network
Presentation

Japan's Solar Power Market Outlook
- Daiki Nakajima, Representative, Business Development, JETRO New York
Presentation

Japan’s FIT Market
Many foreign companies have entered Japan to take advantage of its lucrative Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) market. The majority of projects have been in solar to the point that Japan has become one of the largest solar PV markets in the world. Initially part of Japan’s efforts to promote renewable technologies, Japan’s FIT took on much greater significance after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake led to the long-term shut-down of most of Japan’s nuclear power stations.

JETRO has supported a number of companies to set up operations in Japan as they look to tap into opportunities created by the Japan’s FIT programme. The seminar will give an overview of Japan’s FIT market and showcase examples of foreign companies that are finding success in Japan.

Solar Power Network finds niche in Japan’s solar market
In the Fall of 2012, Solar Power Network (SPN) made the bold decision to tackle the Japanese market. They worked fast. One year later, despite being completely new entrants to the market, they had already found a key Japanese partner and landed several important customers. Now they are shifting staff and resources to Japan and are aiming for rapid growth.

Japan’s Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) was a major incentive for SPN to target Japan as its first international solar market. Also important was the niche that SPN specializes in, that is rooftop solar for industrial, institutional and commercial buildings.

The ‘Distributed’ or ‘on-site’ solar generation model is extremely important for Japan in their efforts to increase their share of renewable energy consumption. Mega-solar projects are located in rural areas, far away from the cities where the energy is needed. The solution is to generate the electricity where it is being used.
Full Story

Renewable Energy/Secondary Battery Report
JETRO has just published a new market report entitled Renewable Energy/Secondary Battery, in its series on Attractive Sectors in Japan. The report looks at the solar, wind and lithium-ion battery markets and explains how the Japanese government is advancing a number of initiatives to bolster renewable energy and secondary battery markets through programmes such as Japan’s Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) which took effect in July 2012. The report can be downloaded at the link below.
Report

Supporting Organizations
Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment