MLIT Announces 2012 Subsidy for Energy-Saving Renovations in Private-Sector Buildings

Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT) announced on April 20, 2012, that it would subsidize one-third of the cost of energy-saving renovations of existing private-sector office buildings and commercial facilities. The subsidy will also apply to costs related to measuring and displaying the energy usage of the buildings.

The five application criteria for the subsidy are as follows: (1) the renovation will involve renovations to the building's framework to improve energy efficiency; (2) more than a 10-percent reduction in energy consumption can be expected after the renovation is completed; (3) the renovation plan has a component for allowing the display of data on the energy consumption of the building, and ongoing efforts for energy management and energy-saving activities can be expected; (4) the total cost of the renovation is 5 million yen (U.S.$61,000) or higher; and (5) construction will be launched within FY2012.

MLIT will subsidize up to 50 million yen ($610,000) per renovation project, which includes up to 25 million yen ($404,000) for device and system installation. If the total requested amount of all applications submitted exceeds the Ministry's subsidy budget, it will select the highest-rated ones based on its priorities. High-priority projects will include renovation plans that integrate multiple dimensions of efforts to maximize the energy efficiency of the entire building, and plans that will enhance proactive energy management by collecting precise data on energy usage throughout the building.

Posted: 2012/08/17 06:00:15 AM