KAIKEI NEWS / Official announcements, explained for business owners and accountants
Past News
Mar 19, 2026 (Thu) edition 4 articles
Text
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) / Agency for Natural Resources and EnergySolar & renewable energyFrom FY2026 (ground-mounted: no support from FY2027)
On March 19, 2026, METI announced renewable energy purchase prices from FY2026. For commercial solar (ground-mounted), the FY2026 price is JPY 9.9 for 10 kW to under 50 kW and JPY 9.6 for 50 kW or more (not subject to tender); both are outside support from FY2027. Rooftop (10 kW or more) and residential (under 10 kW) continue under the initial investment support scheme.The government announced the price at which power companies buy solar electricity (for FY2026). From FY2027, ground-mounted systems will no longer be covered by the national buying system. For rooftop systems, a scheme with a higher price in the first few years continues.
Commercial solar: FY2026 and FY2027
FY2026FY2027
Ground-mounted, 10 kW to under 50 kWJPY 9.9Not supported
Ground-mounted, 50 kW or more (no tender)JPY 9.6Not supported
Rooftop, 10 kW or moreInitial investment support schemeInitial investment support scheme
On March 19, 2026 the WTO released its Global Trade Outlook and Statistics. World trade, which grew more than expected in 2025 on surging trade in AI-enabling goods, is forecast to slow in 2026. In the baseline scenario, which excludes energy price shocks, merchandise trade volume growth falls from 4.6% to 1.9%, and in a scenario of persistently high energy prices it falls further to 1.4%.The WTO, an international organisation, has published its outlook for world trade. In 2025, trade in AI-related products such as semiconductors and servers jumped, and trade grew 4.6%. In 2026, partly as a reaction to that, growth is expected to settle at 1.9%. If energy stays expensive because of the conflict in the Middle East, it could fall even lower.
Read more →Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) / Agency for Natural Resources and EnergySolar & renewable energyFrom the May 2026 meter reading to the April 2027 meter reading
On March 19, 2026, METI announced that the FY2026 renewable energy surcharge is JPY 4.18 per kWh. It applies to electricity bills from the May 2026 meter reading through the April 2027 reading. For a model customer using 400 kWh a month, the burden is JPY 1,672 a month, or JPY 20,064 a year.The money used to buy electricity made by solar and similar sources is collected little by little from everyone's electricity bills. This is the "renewable energy surcharge". For FY2026 it is JPY 4.18 per kWh, used from the May 2026 bill through the April 2027 bill.
This page summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies. Content is as of the date each article was checked. For decisions in your own case, always consult the original sources and professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence. To search by category or keyword, go to Find articles.