In September, Kyushu Electric Power announced it would stop buying energy from solar-power suppliers due to over-supply and a lack of transmission capacity, setting off a debate about Japan's dedication to renewable energy. While the decision to halt purchases of solar energy from any supplier whose capacity is more than 50kW doesn't affect home solar systems, homeowners will be affected sooner or later.

As part of the government's plan to promote renewable energy, utilities have been compelled to buy excess electricity at fixed rates from homes with solar systems. Those rates, however, have been dropping since the program was implemented in 2012. Home builders used this program to sell solar-equipped houses by stressing that the money earned through electricity sales would offset loan payments. But as rates dropped, this sales point became less effective to the point where some companies abandoned the idea because they don't want to be blamed if a customer is still paying off a mortgage when the program ends. In any case, there are limits as to how many years a utility is obliged to buy electricity from homes.

The issue is not the solar "bubble," but rather the nature of power companies. This was the subject of a symposium held at the head offices of the Johnan Shinkin Bank in Tokyo on Oct. 22, where former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a convert to renewable energy, was the keynote speaker. Under discussion was greater local control over energy distribution. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has pledged to "recreate regional areas," but using the central government. This symposium advocated municipalities recreate areas themselves, with energy redistribution as the first priority.