Short on Land, Japan Is Building Solar Farms on Old Golf Courses

Japan is repurposing defunct golf courses—which proliferated during the 1980s economic boom and have since declined—into solar farms. According to Bloomberg analysis, 9 percent of Japan's utility-scale solar capacity is now installed on former golf courses, with at least 10 percent of announced or under-construction capacity planned for the same sites. These conversions began after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster prompted reactor closures and government incentives for solar development.

Solar farms on golf courses help avoid conflicts with forest displacement and landslide risks from foothills installations, but this is a partial solution to Japan's renewable energy transition needs.