Mandatory Installation of Solar Power Facilities
in Public Parking Lots with Over 80 Spaces
Government Aims to Expand Renewable Energy
and Maximize Land Use Efficiency
Starting at the end of November this year, public parking lots with more than 80 spaces will be required to install solar power generation facilities. This obligation applies not only to newly constructed parking lots but also to existing ones.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on August 13 that it has prepared partial amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use, and Diffusion of New and Renewable Energy and its subordinate notice, the Regulation on the Support of New and Renewable Energy Facilities, to this effect. The ministry will conduct a legislative and administrative notice period until September 23.
This amendment is a follow-up measure to the revision of the New and Renewable Energy Act. The main point is to make it mandatory for parking lots with 80 or more spaces, operated or installed by the central government, local governments, or public institutions, to install new and renewable energy facilities such as canopy-type solar panels. Through this, the Ministry expects to proactively expand renewable energy in the public sector and faithfully implement the core national agenda of an "energy transition centered on renewable energy."
Under the revised Enforcement Decree of the New and Renewable Energy Act, parking lots subject to this requirement are those with a parking area of 1,000 square meters or more (equivalent to 80 or more standard spaces). The obligation can be fulfilled either by directly installing new and renewable energy facilities or by leasing the parking lot site to an external operator who installs such facilities. Underground, mechanical, or truck parking spaces, where installing new and renewable energy facilities is deemed unsuitable, are excluded from the calculation of the required installation area.
A ministry official stated, "Through this mandatory installation, we expect to expand the distribution of eco-friendly renewable energy generation facilities while providing tangible benefits to the public. By utilizing idle land such as parking lots, we can maximize land use efficiency. In addition, installing canopy-type solar panels can provide shade underneath, offering noticeable comfort to people using parking lots during hot weather."
The Ministry plans to collect a wide range of opinions on the amendment during the legislative and administrative notice period, consult with local governments and relevant ministries, and finalize the amendment. Those wishing to comment on the amendment may submit their opinions via the National Participation Legislation Center or directly to the Renewable Energy Industry Division of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy by September 23 of next month.
Shim Jinsoo, Director of Renewable Energy Policy at the Ministry, said, "This mandatory installation of new and renewable energy facilities in public parking lots is a policy that allows the public sector to take the lead in implementing national tasks and provides tangible benefits to people's lives. We will actively support the expansion of canopy-type solar panels and other renewable energy facilities in urban public parking lots through preferential policy financing and other measures."
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