Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) — Japan’s new wind-power installations will rise 8.2 percent to 92 megawatts in the year ending March 31, an industry group forecast today.

The country added 85 megawatts of wind-power capacity in the previous period, according to a statement by the Japan Wind Power Association. Installations were 256 megawatts in the year to March 2011, data from the association show.

Last financial year’s drop came after the government ended direct subsidies that paid for a third of the cost of renewable energy projects in favor of a feed-in tariff program that started in July and pays above-market rates for clean energy projects such as solar, wind and geothermal.

Environmental impact assessments of wind projects that began in October to address impact on birds and concerns about noise also hurt the industry, the association said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Chisaki Watanabe in Tokyo at cwatanabe5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net

Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) — Japan’s new wind-power installations will rise 8.2 percent to 92 megawatts in the year ending March 31, an industry group forecast today.

The country added 85 megawatts of wind-power capacity in the previous period, according to a statement by the Japan Wind Power Association. Installations were 256 megawatts in the year to March 2011, data from the association show.

Last financial year’s drop came after the government ended direct subsidies that paid for a third of the cost of renewable energy projects in favor of a feed-in tariff program that started in July and pays above-market rates for clean energy projects such as solar, wind and geothermal.

Environmental impact assessments of wind projects that began in October to address impact on birds and concerns about noise also hurt the industry, the association said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Chisaki Watanabe in Tokyo at cwatanabe5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net