The Japanese government has announced a plan aimed at increasing solar power generation by 10 times the current level in 2020 and 40 times in 2030.

Marking the occasion, Reuters filed this report about a community north of Tokyo that has been experimenting with solar power:

Located 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Tokyo, the 41 hectare (10 acre) Pal Town, dubbed “Solar City,” received free solar panels from 2002 through a 9.7 billion yen state-backed study on how to ensure a steady supply and avoid blackouts. Lots of small solar power generators are connected to the power grid.

But that power is unreliable in cloudy Japan. At high noon in sunny weather, a 4-kilowatt rooftop power generator produces more than enough power to run a typical household. But in cloudy weather, the power generated is less than half.

Officials also say that without a comprehensive strategy involving both corporations and local government, expanding the solar grid to other parts of the country would be difficult.

“People want solar power,” said Kazuo Nagashima, an Ota City assistant section manager. Virtually all 550 families that now have solar panels in Pal Town say they want to keep them after the tests end in March 2010. “But local governments can do very little on their own.”

Japanese businesses are also exploring the possibilities of solar power, and this November 8th NTDTV news brief looks into a solar cell techology expo:

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