Japan Solar Tracker Market Overview, 2030

The 2011 nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima spurred a national movement toward renewable energy diversification, which has had a significant impact on the solar tracker market in Japan. As part of this shift, solar energy usage increased quickly, resulting in advancements in solar tracker designs that are adapted to the particular geographic and environmental challenges of Japan. Due to Japan's limited land availability and complicated geography, which are in contrast to the huge deserts that predominate in other major solar markets, the country has encouraged the development of space-optimized and compact tracker designs. These systems are designed to maximize output, even in locations with odd shapes or limitations, making them perfect for the fragmented land and industrial areas of Japan. The integration of tracking systems into floating solar plants is one of the most notable adaptations in Japan's solar tracker market. Floating photovoltaic (FPV) installations have become a strategic solution for overcoming land shortages due to Japan's vast network of reservoirs and inland water bodies. Trackers placed on these floating platforms change the panel orientation to match the course of the sun, increasing generating capacity in these unusual solar settings. Japan has also been a pioneer in the deployment of solar trackers in mountainous areas, notably in rural prefectures where the land gradient may provide problems for conventional PV systems. The use of specialized dual-axis trackers that can adjust to uneven slopes enables a greater solar harvest in spite of topographical challenges. Furthermore, cities like Tokyo and Osaka have started including compact tracking mechanisms on commercial and high-rise buildings for their urban rooftop solar installations, resulting in only minor increases in power generation where rooftop space allows.

According to the research report, ""Japan Solar Tracker Market Overview, 2030,"" published by Bonafide Research, the Japan Solar Tracker market is anticipated to add to more than USD 240 Million by 2025–30. In Japan, the total percentage of trackers in solar capacity is still rather low when compared to nations with vast, open landscapes, but they have grown popular in specific installations and high-efficiency initiatives. With the country reshaping its energy policy, solar energy swiftly rose to prominence as one of the cornerstones of Japan's decarbonization plan, backed by nationwide feed-in tariff (FiT) programs and shifting targets for renewable energy. The creation of tracker frames that are resistant to earthquakes is one of the notable aspects of the Japanese tracker market. Considering how susceptible Japan is to earthquakes, engineering teams have prioritized designs that are strong and capable of withstanding seismic activity while still providing seamless operational tracking capabilities. These specialized systems are becoming more popular in areas with greater earthquake danger since they guarantee both energy dependability and regulatory compliance. The development of tracker technology has benefited greatly from the contributions of top Japanese firms like Sharp Solar. With its long history in the solar industry, Sharp has been actively involved in piloting projects that combine trackers with bifacial panels and investigating tracker solutions for limited urban environments. Trackers have been tested in both rural and urban settings through collaborative initiatives with local governments. The integration of trackers into floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems is one of the major trends fueling market interest. In light of Japan's limited land area, FPV is a viable option, especially on reservoirs and water bodies in semi-urban and agricultural areas. By optimizing panel orientation over the water's reflective surface, tracking technology maximizes yield when combined with FPV. This model is becoming more and more popular in energy-conscious prefectures throughout the nation.

The majority of single-axis trackers are employed in ground-mounted installations and utility-scale projects, where row-based tracker deployment is made possible by the restricted land area when compared to other worldwide markets. These devices usually rotate on a horizontal north-south axis, allowing the panels to track the sun's movement from east to west during the day. The primary benefit of single-axis systems in Japan is their balance of increased efficiency with lower cost and mechanical complexity, which makes them ideal for areas like Kyushu and Shikoku, where solar irradiation levels are greater and more predictable. Nevertheless, dual-axis trackers have attracted attention as Japan's solar industry struggles to optimize efficiency on restricted or unusual land plots. Solar panels can track the sun's movement on a daily and seasonal basis thanks to these technologies, which make adjustments for shifts in the sun's altitude and azimuth. In Japan, dual-axis trackers are being investigated more and more in high-value projects, especially in mountainous areas or places with uneven terrain, like some areas of Fukushima Prefecture and Nagano. In these demanding circumstances, the capacity of dual-axis trackers to maximize solar gain helps make up for their higher upfront expenditures. The usage of dual-axis tracking in floating PV (FPV) systems installed on reservoirs and water bodies is another area where it is becoming more popular. The dual-axis tracking, which improves yield by using water surfaces to create cooling effects, makes floating arrays a desirable choice for renewable installations with limited space, even though they already boost energy production.

Japan's post-Fukushima move to renewable energy, which prioritized decentralized and resilient energy systems, coincided with the widespread acceptance of PV technology. In order to make the most of limited land availability and increase generation efficiency, particularly in mountainous and densely populated urban areas, solar photovoltaic panels are increasingly being used in conjunction with single-axis or dual-axis tracking systems. Technological advances in tracker design, such as seismic-resistant frames and compact layouts for tight spaces, have also allowed PV projects to thrive in Japan's difficult topography. Furthermore, Japan's reservoirs and dams are seeing a rise in the number of floating photovoltaic systems equipped with trackers, which increases the nation's capacity to achieve renewable goals without using valuable agricultural or residential space. In contrast, concentrated solar power (CSP) only has a minor role in Japan's renewable energy plan. Compared to photovoltaic systems, CSP is less useful due to the country's geographical and climatic conditions, which are characterized by high humidity, frequent cloud cover, and restricted areas of continuous sunshine. Japan's energy planning has historically prioritized offshore/onshore wind and PV over large-scale CSP projects that are better suited for arid or semi-arid regions like portions of the Middle East or North Africa. Consequently, there are still very few CSP installations in Japan. Although Japan has seen some trial deployment of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology, it has not yet achieved commercial scalability. In spite of the fact that CPV systems, when paired with dual-axis trackers, can achieve greater efficiencies under direct normal irradiance (DNI), their effectiveness is diminished by Japan's diffuse solar conditions. However, research institutions and specialized technology suppliers are still investigating the potential of CPV, particularly when coupled with tracking mechanisms that automatically adjust panel positioning for available solar radiation.

The majority of the solar tracker market in Japan is made up of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems, which make up the foundation of the nation's renewable energy industry. Due to its ease of integration into both large-scale and distributed energy systems, PV has been widely adopted in Japan. In areas like Chiba, Yamanashi, and Kagoshima, where flat terrain and advantageous solar irradiation profiles enable effective deployment, trackers are used in conjunction with monofacial and bifacial PV panels in many ground-mounted projects. In southern prefectures in particular, single-axis tracking PV systems maximize production by producing 15–25% more energy than static installations. Moreover, PV panels coupled with trackers are becoming increasingly popular in floating PV (FPV) projects, notably in semi-urban reservoirs. Due to the country's humid climate and typically scattered sunlight conditions, which are not conducive to CSP's need for direct normal irradiance (DNI), concentrated solar power (CSP) has limited implementation in Japan. Nevertheless, in the sunnier southern regions, small-scale CSP pilot projects have been tested using parabolic troughs and dishes coupled with dual-axis tracking mechanisms to concentrate sunlight on receiver tubes. However, due to geographical and economic limitations, CSP continues to be a specialized sector of Japan's tracker industry. Although the Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) technology is more promising for the development of solar trackers in Japan, it also has its difficulties. In order to concentrate sunlight on high-efficiency multi-junction cells, CPV systems must have exact sun tracking, frequently via dual-axis trackers. CPV projects have been tested in Japan, particularly in academic collaborations and industrial R&D parks. However, because of the complexity of upkeep and the expense of implementation, widespread commercial usage is still limited. Tracking technology continues to be the primary and most economically viable segment in Japan, backed by continuous advancements in compact tracking designs and seismic-resistant structures suitable for mountainous and urban settings.

Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2019
• Base year: 2024
• Estimated year: 2025
• Forecast year: 2030

Aspects covered in this report
• Solar Tracker Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Technology
• Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
• Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)
• Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV)

By Installation Type
• Ground-Mounted
• Rooftop-Mounted Show more