Japan may be one of the top producers of photovoltaics in the world, but despite recognising solar power as a national priority since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, they still have some of the highest solar panel costs worldwide.  With ongoing battles between the government ministries and solar farm operators, the large-scale implementation proves to be a struggle. If you move down to the homes and houses of the country’s everyday residents, however, things are looking a little simpler. 

A solar-panel startup established in 2017 and offering deals that often draw the age-old warning of ‘too good to be true’, Trende is fast becoming a household name. “We hear the ‘sounds too good to be true’ comment quite often,” says Chairman Jeffrey Char. “We intend to change that reaction to ‘sounds too good to ignore’.” Offering free installation, free maintenance, savings of between 10-20% on energy bills and full ownership after the contract ends, Trende is certainly making panels an attractive option. “The reasons we are able to offer customers such a good deal,” he explains “are that we are able to realise lower hardware and installation costs thanks to our scale, avoid transmission charges on any power the customer uses from their panels during the day, and we sell the excess solar power under the feed-in-tariff system.” Sounds pretty convincing to us. 

Keen to tackle climate change but having been put off for years himself by rumours of high installation costs and difficult maintenance, he felt something needed to be done. “We came up with the idea for Trende as a response to climate change and the Japanese electric utility industry’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels and restarting of the nuclear power plants.” The business, however, needed to attract everyday residents to be a success: “We believed that consumers would select clean and safe solar power if it was convenient, if it resulted in immediate and meaningful savings compared to what they are currently paying,” Char explained. This need for convenience was key, and went on to inform the benefits and services that make Trende such an appealing prospect. Knowing that individuals are often enthused to join the fight against climate change but lack knowledge and practical ways to do so, they knew it would be a difficult, but worthwhile mission. 

While he notes that the amount of energy sourced from renewable methods has increased substantially since 2011, Char believes there is still a long way to go. His optimism for industry growth, however, is helped by a steady reduction in PV and battery storage as well as the anticipated increase in fossil fuel costs. Focusing on distributed energy resources like home installation rather than utility-scale projects is one way of contributing to the growth of the industry. “Japan will ultimately move away from the traditional vertically integrated system toward a distributed one that is lower cost and more resilient,” he says, confident in his predictions.

The Japanese market bears strong differences to its European counterparts, however, with shorter lifespans for homes, high numbers of apartment blocks and a cautious attitude where anything ‘alternative’ comes into play. Developing a model purely for the Japanese market, Trende has succeeded where foreign models would quickly fail. Targeting houses built within the last ten years, they aim to utilise the maximum amount of a panel’s 20-year lifespan.

For those living in buildings with no ownership of roof space, Trende's Ashita Denki service offers partially-renewable energy at affordable costs, without installation (the team are working to increase the percentage of renewable energy in the future). Without charging a base fee, Trende beats the prices of bigger companies, allowing for savings for those renting or living in mansion blocks. 

Tackling the cautious nature so ubiquitous in Japan, however, was a bigger challenge. With pervading concerns about the reliability of unknown companies and the possibility of being left with unusable panels, homeowners had little faith in a brand new company making such difficult-to-believe promises. In order to reassure customers, Trende launched as a TEPCO group company. Retaining autonomy while offering reassurance with big-name familiarity, the company ensured they would be there for their customers in the long term. 

“Our customers are happy knowing that most of the power their family uses during the day is renewable energy generated from panels on their own roof,” says Char, signalling the benefits for families as well as the future generations they’re raising. While climate change continues to be a major topic on a global level, hopefully more of Tokyo’s forward-thinking residents will begin to tackle it themselves, with the help of companies like Trende.

Thinking of signing up to solar power? While rooftops should ideally be south-facing and large enough to fit 16 door-sized panels, exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis. For more information about both the services offered then check their new English site here. 

By Lily Crossley-Baxter 

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