Yokohama Carbon Neutral Equipment Investment Subsidy Program

This Yokohama City subsidy program supports SMEs investing in carbon-neutral equipment, administered by the Yokohama Economic Affairs Bureau. It consists of three sub-programs governed by separate ordinances: (1) Solar PV introduction, (2) LED conversion, and (3) Energy-saving equipment. Common requirements include being an SME under the SME Basic Act, having a business location in Yokohama City, having registered under the city's Decarbonization Declaration system, and being a Yokohama municipal taxpayer with no tax arrears. Eligible applicants are SMEs (corporations and sole proprietors) with a business site in Yokohama. For LED and energy-saving programs, the site must have been operating for at least 12 months. Deemed-large enterprises, adult entertainment businesses, political/cultural organizations, religious entities, and organized-crime affiliates are excluded. Solar PV allows joint application with leasing companies or on-site PPA operators in addition to direct purchase. Eligible costs are equipment purchase/manufacture costs and installation work costs; consumption tax, insurance, removal/disposal of existing equipment, repair costs, and ongoing service fees are excluded. Solar PV must be 10 kW or larger with self-consumption (no FIT/FIP certification) and disaster-time power supply capability. LED replacement requires full fixture-and-light-source renewal via electrical work; bypass-only work is ineligible. Energy-saving equipment includes HVAC, boilers, motors, transformers, refrigeration, production equipment, etc. Subsidy amounts vary by sub-program: Solar PV alone is JPY 80,000 per kW (max JPY 4M); Solar PV + battery is JPY 100,000 per kW (max JPY 5M); LED is JPY 12,000-35,000 per fixture (max JPY 500,000); Energy-saving is 1/2 of eligible costs (max JPY 1M simple course / JPY 3M energy-audit course). Applications are limited to one per site per fiscal year, primarily via the online system, on a first-come-first-served basis with possible lottery if budget is exceeded. Simple course requires annual CO2 reduction of 0.12t+; audit course requires 1.2t+.