[Column] Renewable Energy Facilities and Community Disputes – Noise, Reflected Light, and Co-existence with Residents

✅ In a nutshell

• Battery storage facilities and wind farms raise noise issues, while solar power gives rise to reflected light and scenic degradation, leading to lawsuits across Japan.
• National and local governments respond with noise standards and zoning ordinances; over 145 municipalities have introduced their own regulations.
• Project operators seek ways to co-exist with residents through sound barriers, anti-glare panels and community return schemes.
• “Legal victory ≠ problem solved” — Bridging technology, law and dialogue is required.

Introduction

This time, we will explain community disputes surrounding renewable energy facilities and the countermeasures.
Recently, during a casual conversation with a client, an interesting remark came up: “When a storage facility grows in capacity, the noise also becomes larger…”
When we think of renewable energy, panels and wind turbines tend to come to mind, but it made me realize that large‐scale storage equipment indispensable for grid stability also has the “noise” issue.
As solar power plants and wind farms spread throughout Japan, various frictions with neighboring residents are believed to be arising.
Noise, infrasound, dazzling glare from solar panels, landscape deterioration, and even risks of landslides due to forest clearing…
These issues cannot be solved simply from a technical or economic viewpoint, I believe.
As a lawyer, and also as a member of the local community, I feel this issue is not someone else’s problem.
In this article, we will organize, from a legal perspective as well, actual cases of disputes with residents, system responses by the national and local governments, and creative efforts by project operators.

Real community disputes occurring – Cases that progressed to litigation

Noise and infrasound from wind power – Complaints of “We cannot sleep at night”

In Tahara City, Aichi Prefecture, a large 1,500 kW wind turbine was built in 2007 at a location only about 350 meters from a residence.
Gear noise, wind‐cutting sound — residents brought a lawsuit against the developer claiming “noise exceeding the tolerable limit.”
However, in April 2015 the Toyohashi branch of the Nagoya District Court dismissed the residents’ claim, holding that “the wind turbine noise is within legally permissible range.”
Even if legally permissible, the sensory experience of people living nearby is a separate matter.
In Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture, and other areas with wind turbines in abundance, residents continue to complain of health damage due to infrasound – headaches, insomnia, tinnitus.
This is a case that shows “winning the lawsuit” does not necessarily mean “the problem is resolved.”

Reflected light from solar panels – Indoor temperature over 50 °C and heat stroke

The case in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, symbolizes the “light pollution” of solar power generation.
From a nearby mega‐solar facility, intense sunlight reflected onto a house reportedly raised the indoor temperature above 50 °C.
The couple claimed they suffered heat stroke, and the male resident filed suit in 2015 seeking partial removal of the panels and damages.
In this case, the company voluntarily planted tall trees for screening measures, and in 2017 the resident withdrew the lawsuit. This can be said to be a good example of the company’s flexible response preventing litigation from dragging on (though fundamentally the issue could have been prevented in the first place…).
Reflected light problems from solar panels appear to be occurring frequently across the country.
Not only the glare but also actual damage from heat is serious.
The concept of the right to sunshine (nichōken) itself lacks a clear legal definition, and the hurdle for relief is considered high.

Litigation over landscape destruction – Can the “right to landscape” be recognized?

In Yufuin Town, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture, in response to a mega‐solar plan in a scenic highland resort area, inn operators and other residents filed suit for injunctive relief claiming “their personal rights to enjoy the natural landscape of the area are infringed.”
However, in November 2016 the Oita District Court rejected the claim, stating that “the landscape benefit remains merely an interest deserving of legal protection, and an injunction request based directly on environmental rights / landscape rights cannot be upheld.”
It seems that in reality, residents lose in many cases when it comes to disputes over scenery.
Providing legal protection for a “beautiful view” still remains a difficult challenge.

Forest clearing and landslide risk – Fear of “the mountain becoming a bald mountain”

In Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, residents filed suit for construction halting saying “if the mountain face is cut for the works, landslides will damage our home,” but they lost because their house was not directly subject to damage.
In Heguri Town, Nara Prefecture, around March 2021, about 1,000 residents filed a collective suit against a power generation plan, claiming “forest clearing will turn the mountain into a bald mountain and we are worried about landslides.”
In Akaiwa City, Okayama Prefecture, after the formation of a mega‐solar covering some 82 hectares, a slope collapsed and the rice fields at the foot were actually filled with sediment.
Concerns about environmental destruction and disaster risk are believed to be accelerating opposition movements and the formulation of independent ordinances nationwide.

Concerns about large‐scale battery storage facilities – Few cases yet but…

Regarding the large‐scale battery storage equipment mentioned at the beginning, there are still few trouble cases. However, it seems that voices of concern about construction plans are beginning to rise in certain regions.
The main concerns are as follows:

• Noise: The sound of converter cooling fans or transformer operation may echo at night
• Fire and explosion risk: Anxiety about accidents in the event of emergency
• Impact on scenery: The visual of large container-type equipment lined up
  In Hokkaido and Kyushu, large‐capacity storage batteries adjacent to mega‐solar are beginning to be introduced, but there are also voices saying “the explanation of facility safety in the event of an accident is insufficient.”
  Although there are few actual trouble cases of storage stations themselves, as diffusion advances it is definitely expected that the interest of residents regarding the impact on surrounding areas will increase.

How the national and local governments have responded – Institutional and guideline responses

Noise regulation standards for wind power – “Stricter in quieter areas”

In 2017, the 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment) established guideline values for wind turbine noise.
The guideline sets as an upper reference value the background residual noise level +5 dB (or lower limit of 35 dB or 40 dB) and evaluates separately for daytime and nighttime. It can be said that the quieter the area, the stricter the application.
For infrasound of under 20 Hz, it published Q&A style scientific findings that “it is below human perception threshold,” and provided information to alleviate residents’ anxiety.
While the guideline has no legally binding force, it is considered to be a standard that is taken into account in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and project permit screenings.

Reflected light and sunlight measures for solar panels – Simulation and anti-glare measures

In the national guidelines, at the planning stage it is required to perform simulation calculations of the panel’s reflection angle and assess the impact on nearby houses, roads, airports.
If there are residences, schools, hospitals, expressways, airports etc in the surrounding area, the time of day and angle at which reflected light may hit is to be calculated, and if concern arises, the following anti-glare measures are to be taken:

• Adoption of low-reflection panels
• Changing the panel angle
• Installing screening walls
  The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has established technical standards for panels installed along roads, requiring prior confirmation so as not to hinder drivers’ visibility.
  In Kobe City, the ordinance obliges reflection impact assessment and reporting, and it is believed that institutionalization at the municipal level is progressing.

Location regulation to protect scenery and the natural environment – “Zoning” by ordinance

As countermeasures to landscape deterioration or destruction of nature due to renewable energy equipment, many municipalities are believed to have formulated their own ordinances.
In particular for solar power, after 2018 the enactment of regulatory ordinances accelerated.
A symbolic example is the case of Hidaka City, Saitama Prefecture.
In 2019, it enacted the “Ordinance Concerning Proper Installation of Solar Power Generation Equipment” which clearly states that solar power generation shall not be permitted within certain protected areas such as forest conservation zones and tourism hub zones.
It obliges project operators to submit prior notification and obtain the mayor’s consent, and in the protected zones gives practical non-consent to effectively suppress development.
The project operator filed an unconstitutional lawsuit, but in May 2022 the Saitama District Court dismissed the claim and confirmed the legality of the ordinance.
According to a national survey, municipalities that had enacted strong solar ordinances numbered over 145 (including only notification obligations some 175 municipalities).
It can be assumed that about 10 % of all municipalities are handling the matter by their own ordinance.

Other institutional responses – Mandated removal cost reserve fund

In the 2022 amendment of the Special Measures Act on Renewable Energy, projects above a certain scale of solar power generation were required to externally reserve removal costs.
It is considered to be a measure to prevent abandonment of panels or illegal dumping after power generation has ended.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in its “Project Planning Formulation Guidelines” has detailed checklists for noise, electromagnetic waves, reflected light and other considerations.
The Ministry of the Environment (2020) in its “Environmental Consideration Guidelines” also presents pre‐examination items including small-scale projects.
Furthermore, as a mediation measure for local disputes, the Ministry of the Environment proposes use of the Pollution and Other Disputes Adjustment Commission for ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) outside court.
I believe that the consideration of a structure akin to Germany’s third-party organization mediating and providing scientific findings is also under way.

Efforts by Project Operators – Initiatives for “Community Co-existence”

Law and guidelines alone may not be sufficient, I believe. I consider that the operators’ creative efforts on site determine co-existence with the local community.

Noise countermeasures – Low-noise equipment, sound barriers and ongoing monitoring

In wind power and battery storage, countermeasures against equipment noise are believed to be important. Here are specific initiatives we see:

• Adoption of low-noise type equipment (quiet wind turbines, sound‐designed PCS & transformers)
• Installation of sound barriers / noise fences (around site boundaries or around the noise source)
• Screening and noise mitigation via green belts (not perfect but gives psychological reassurance)
• Placing sound‐generating equipment at locations distant from residences
  After operation starts, continuous noise monitoring and a posture of taking additional remedial measures as necessary are required, I believe.

Anti-glare measures — Anti-glare panels and simulation

For dazzling reflected light from solar panels, the following countermeasures are being taken:

• Adoption of anti-glare panels or low-reflection coated panels
• Conducting detailed reflected light simulation
• Optimising panel angle or modifying layout
• Installing screening planting or shading nets
  In the case of Himeji City, the operator voluntarily planted tall trees around the site to soften direct sunlight onto adjacent houses, and this led to resolution of the dispute.

Consideration for landscape and environment — Design and greening

To prevent large-scale equipment from spoiling the surroundings’ scenery, cases of design‐based ingenuity are seen.

• Equipment design with low overall height
• Earth-colour painting or design that blends with the surrounding nature
• Active planting and greening around site boundaries and equipment
• Hearing residents about landscape elements (views, tree preservation etc) valued by the region and reflecting them in the design
  In solar power development on sloped land, greening of slopes and thorough drainage measures after development are considered indispensable to prevent post‐earth sediment outflow.

Community communication – Building trust relationships

Building trust between project operators and local residents is an important initiative.

• Holding multiple resident briefing sessions before construction
• Sincerely answering residents’ questions and opinions, reviewing plans
• Regular information provision during construction and operation (bulletin boards or newsletters)
• Setting up a complaint window and rapid response system
  In the case of the wind power plant in Nakadomari Town, Aomori Prefecture, at start of operation they concluded a pact with the neighbourhood association and are reported to have worked from the outset to gather residents’ voices regularly and strive for co-existence.

Economic return to the region – A mechanism not just “foreign capital taking profits away”

In order to aim for co-existence with the region, attempts to return part of profits to the local area appear to be increasing.
In the case of Nakadomari Town, the town signed a “Donation Agreement for Regional Regeneration” with the operator, and a portion of the sales revenue is allocated to the following public welfare projects:

• Preservation and maintenance of historical buildings
• Building a welfare & health centre
• Support for smart agriculture / fisheries
  Other reported initiatives include:
• Support for local education (holding energy classes)
• Agreement to open facilities / power supply to the region in times of disaster
• Local procurement of construction orders and employment creation for local companies
• Community joint-power generation (residents becoming investors)
• Establishing a fund with the municipality and allocating it to environmental conservation activities
  Through such initiatives, the distrust “renewable energy = foreign capital simply takes away profits” appears to be mitigated, and efforts are being made to be accepted as a business rooted in the region.

Conclusion

Solar power, wind power, and also battery storage — the expansion of renewable energy introduction is indispensable to achieving a decarbonised society.
However, if friction with local communities is produced in that process, it becomes counterproductive.
What emerges from cases across Japan, I believe, is the importance of not dismissing the residents’ anxieties and concerns and dealing with them carefully.
And I believe that with the development of institutional frameworks and operators’ creative efforts, many disputes can be prevented or resolved.
While rule‐making by the national and local governments via guidelines and ordinances is advancing, I believe that on the front line a dialogue and ingenuity where operators, residents and administration literally sit face to face is indispensable.
For renewable energy businesses to coexist with sustainable regional development — I believe project management from the planning stage with a “community co‐existence” viewpoint is required.
As a lawyer facing local disputes, I would also like to play the role of bridging technology and law, and person to person dialogue.

(This article is based on information as of November 2025.)