Electricity Business Act Amendment Bill Approved by Cabinet: Third-Party Check of Solar Support Structures Before ConstructionParts that hold up solar panels will be checked by an expert body before construction
On March 24, 2026, METI announced that the Cabinet approved the bill to partially amend the Electricity Business Act, to be submitted to the 221st Diet session. To prevent accidents caused by design flaws in solar power equipment, its support structures and similar parts will be checked before construction by a third-party body (a registered conformity assessment body) against technical standards. The bill also provides for asking manufacturers, importers, sellers and contractors to cooperate when causes are hard to determine.
- 1. DesignDesign the support structures and similar parts
- 2. Third-party checkBefore construction, a registered body checks conformity with technical standards
- 3. ConstructionInstall after the check
- 4. If an accident occursManufacturers, importers, sellers and contractors cooperate when causes are hard to find
Key points
- To prevent accidents from design flaws in solar power equipment, support structures and similar parts become subject to a pre-construction check against technical standards by a third-party body (registered conformity assessment body)
- When product or construction defects make it hard for the installer alone to find causes or prevent recurrence, manufacturers, importers, sellers and contractors can be asked for necessary cooperation
- The bill also covers promoting large transmission lines and large power sources, making retail electricity business appropriate, and designating and supervising wholesale power exchanges
- Its stated purpose is to secure stable power supply and energy security amid a changing international energy situation and rising power demand from DX and GX
What to do in practice
- If you plan to build or replace equipment, check in the published materials when the rules take effect and which equipment will be covered by the third-party check
- Check contracts with contractors and manufacturers for responsibility in design and construction and for cooperation in case of an accident
To stop solar power equipment from causing accidents because of design mistakes, the government prepared a bill to change the law. Before construction, parts such as those that hold up the panels would be checked by an expert body registered by the government to see if they meet safety rules.
- ○Applies: Keep accidents from design mistakes from happening
- ○Applies: Have an expert body check before construction
- ×Does not apply: Let only the installer look for the cause of an accident
Points
- Prevent accidents caused by design mistakes
- Before construction, an expert body checks whether safety rules are met
- When the cause is unclear, the makers and builders are also asked to help
What the words mean
- Technical standards
- Rules that equipment must follow to be safe
- Cabinet approval
- When the cabinet (the ministers' meeting) decides to send a bill to the Diet
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) / Agency for Natural Resources and Energy: METI: Cabinet approval of the bill to partially amend the Electricity Business Act (March 24, 2026)
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult 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.