Domestic suppliers continue to dominate Japan’s shipments of solar modules, with 2.39GW of a total 2.57GW coming from Japanese companies in the second quarter of the Japanese fiscal year 2014, according to the latest figures from the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association (JPEA).

    The Japanese fiscal year begins in April each year. According to JPEA, for the period from August to October, the 2.39GW of solar modules shipped within the country represented 115% of demand for the same period of 2013. This was an increase of 26.8% on the previous quarter, when 1.88GW was shipped domestically.

    Commercial and utility-scale projects appeared to be continuing to drive demand, with 78% of domestic modules shipped used for non-residential applications, while the remaining 22% was for the residential market.

   JPEA reiterated the continuing importance of PV in Japan’s future, for energy security and environmental reasons. However, the statement recognised the instability solar can contribute to electricity networks, and reinforced the need to introduce PV in “the appropriate volume and range”. JPEA said that looking to the future, the industry would have to be able to sustain itself without dependency on FiTs and made vague references to the need to review and improve policies around project certification for solar.