In order to achieve the targets of 8.7GW and 20GW respectively set for 2021 and 2025, various ministries and units are currently stocktaking usable public rooftops and ruling out locations with ecological concerns, and now the Kaohsiung City Government has targeted the rooftops of public markets by establishing the “Kaohsiung City Green Power Promotion Task Force” that focuses on 5 major missions, as well as the stipulation of the 270MW photovoltaic capacity target within 2 years.
President Tsai Ing-wen had previously pointed out that the government is currently actuating rooftop solar and fishery electricity projects in order to shift the domestic photovoltaic towards the development direction of “diversified and composite” applications, and the Economic Development Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government will be installing solar facilities on the rooftops of 7 public markets, including Guomao, Liouguei, Mituo, Hsinda Harbor, Zihguan Second, and Luzhu, as well as the Shanlin Da’ai Commercial Center, where the new installed power generation will reach to 1.17 million kWh.
The Kaohsiung City Green Power Task Force has drafted 5 major missions of “priority in demonstration and implementation of exclusive zones to fishery electricity”, “photovoltaic rooftops promoted on public and private housings”, “expedite on power conservation and low carbon missions through energy-saving service mode”, “green energy planning and smart power usage development for school buildings”, and “friendly reduction in power plant operation within Kaohsiung City”. Among these, a 270MW of photovoltaic capacity target has been set for two years starting from 2021 for the purpose of implementing the development of renewable energy in Kaohsiung City.
Liao Tai-hsiang, Director of the Economic Development Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government, commented that the bureau cooperates with the target set by the green power task force when stocktaking the market rooftops within the jurisdiction, and utilized public tenders to establish photovoltaic sites. The bureau has now installed rooftop panels in several public markets, including Gushan First, Cianjhen Second, Cishan First, Gangshan Wenhsien, Longhua, Jhongsing, Dashu, and Wumiao, which will commence operation successively.
The Economic Development Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government pointed out that photovoltaic installation not only generates green power, but also reduces room temperature to 3-5°, as well as achieves energy conservation and carbon reduction, and contract manufacturer also provides 20 years of rooftop leak-proof warranty. In addition, a 7% of the electric sales feedback will be incorporated into the finance of the city government, and will also be allocated to the market to cover the cost on environmental cleaning and maintenance.
To achieve the targets of green energy, numerous counties and cities are also doing everything possible in the corresponding development without impacting the environment and people’s livelihood. For example, the Pingtung Management Office of the Irrigation Agency has been actively stocking irrigation ditches in recent years, and has installed waterway solar sites 4m above a total of 8 ditches in pingtung, which total to approximately 8.95MW of installed capacity. Two additional sites are expected to complete this year at an additional installed capacity of roughly 4.61MW.
Farmland-generated electricity had derived chaos in the past. The Council of Agriculture had announced in July 2020 that farmlands below 2 hectares are prohibited in generating electricity, and will be shifted to the development of “symbiosis of fishery electricity”, with a total of 4,800 hectares planned in the advance zones of 6 counties and cities. Chiayi County and Tainan City will implement the relevant measure first, followed by Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County in the upcoming second phase, before moving on to Changhua County and Yunlin County in the third phase.
However, symbiosis of fishery electricity requires an opacity rate of below 40%, and has to maintain the initial 70% of fishing rate, otherwise the establishment will be demolished by the government, and some business operators are not too optimistic in the relevant approach. The “environmental and social inspection” mechanism targeted at solar energy has yet to be released, and the pursuit of solutions continues.
(Cover photo source: Economic Development Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government)