The Agreement to Go Down to the Roof: A Story of Kawasaki City and the Restoration of Trust in Solar Energy (2006)

The Agreement to Go Down to the Roof: A Story of Kawasaki City and the Restoration of Trust in Solar Energy (2006)

In 2005, the Kyoto Protocol came into effect and Japan assumed its international responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The following year, the Law Concerning the Promotion of the Measures to Cope with Global Warming was revised, and households became more interested in renewable energy. When Kawasaki City began subsidizing the introduction of solar power generation for households in FY2006, the city was inundated with applications from residents, and the maximum number of applications was reached within one month. At the same time, the nationwide problem of malicious contractors involved in home renovation became apparent, and citizens became concerned that they might be cheated. In order to protect the public's desire to install solar power generation systems, the city concluded an "Agreement for the Prevention of Consumer Trouble" with solar power generation installers. Citizens can now choose a contractor with peace of mind, businesses have a legitimate place
to operate, and the city has restored trust. The agreement played a major role as a social device that led to the sustained spread of subsidized demand. Kawasaki City subsequently extended a similar agreement system to housing construction in general, and the system has been renewed and is still in place today. In 2003, the Photovoltaic Association of Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and the City of Kawasaki signed a tripartite cooperation agreement, and the experience gained at that time is being utilized in environmental policy in the wider region. The trusting agreement that landed on the roof of Kawasaki continues to shed light on the city's environmental policies.