PV SOLAR HOUSE ASSOCIATION

What PV SOLAR HOUSE ASSOCIATION does

PV SOLAR HOUSE ASSOCIATION (株式会社PVソーラーハウス協会) is a Japanese voluntary chain (VC) association founded in October 1997 and incorporated as a separate operating entity in November 1999 with registered capital of ¥10 million, headquartered in Ryugasaki City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Operating under the DBA "PVソーラーハウス協会," it functions as a trade association supporting approximately 220 member construction companies across all 47 Japanese prefectures via three offices (Ryugasaki HQ, Sapporo/Hokkaido, Fukuoka/Kyushu). The association's purpose is to promote ZEH (Zero Energy House) adoption and to deliver healthy, low-CO₂ residential environments for Japanese homeowners through its contractor members.

The association's primary commercial offering to members is a bundled service stack rather than a single product. Its proprietary original product is the "Honeycomb aSsu" (ハニカムaSsu) honeycomb-structured insulated blind, which uses trapped air cells to suppress window heat transfer. The association also curates and distributes solar PV modules (AIKO 495W), hybrid power conditioning systems, EcoCute heat pump water heaters, hybrid lithium battery storage, V2H equipment (Nichicon), high-efficiency ductless heat exchange ventilation (Nippon Stiebel), high-insulation resin windows (YKK AP, LIXIL, Sankyo Tateyama), and thermal storage materials. A multi-decade warranty stack is offered in partnership with JIO (defect insurance), Solvvy (long-term building warranty up to 60 years), and JHS (ground/foundation warranty 10–20 years).

Revenue derives from five streams: (1) recurring membership subscriptions (Regular members ¥300,000/year, Associate members ¥120,000/year, both tax-excluded), (2) joint-purchasing/wholesale of eco-building materials to members at reduced prices, (3) hardware sales of the proprietary Honeycomb aSsu blinds, (4) consulting and training services including ZEH design support and subsidy seminars, and (5) warranty/insurance group-discount programs. The association is privately held, founder-aligned, and discloses no external shareholders or institutional investors. Yoshida Motoaki was appointed President and Representative Director in January 2025, succeeding Sakuraba Yoshiumi who had led the entity since its 2020 renaming.

Name

PV SOLAR HOUSE ASSOCIATION

Legal name

株式会社ＰＶソーラーハウス協会

Website

https://pv-solar.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PV SOLAR HOUSE ASSOCIATION is a Japanese voluntary chain association supporting ~220 member construction companies nationwide with ZEH (Zero Energy House) expertise, joint procurement of eco-building materials, and its proprietary Honeycomb aSsu insulated blinds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy-Efficient Housing Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Roofing Contractors (23816)

SIC

Electrical Work (1731)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Distribution & Wholesale Supply (Channel, Procurement, Logistics) (EUAMABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB), Solar Roofing & Roof-Mounted PV Systems (IMADAFAO)

Keywords

• ZEH housing construction
• Energy-efficient homes
• Solar power systems
• Eco building materials
• Voluntary chain builders

Headquarters

HQ city

Ryugasaki

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. VC Group Organization Operations: Monthly and annual membership fees from member construction companies (regular and associate members). Provides support services including consulting, training, joint purchasing, and product sales to members.
2. Joint Purchasing/Wholesale of Energy-Saving Building Materials: Bulk purchasing of photovoltaic systems, heating equipment, ventilation systems, hot water systems, high-insulation resin windows, thermal storage materials, and insulation materials. Sold to member contractors at reduced prices through collective buying power.
3. Honeycomb Insulated Blinds (ハニカムaSsu) Manufacturing/Sales: Sales of proprietary honeycomb structure insulated blinds. Members and registered dealers can handle these products.
4. Consulting and Training Services: Energy-saving housing consulting, individual company training, seminars, symposiums, and various events for member contractors. Also includes design proposal support and information services.
5. Warranty/Insurance Services: Group discount programs for defect insurance (JIO), building long-term warranty (Solvvy), and ground warranty (JHS) offered to members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PV Solar House Association operates a voluntary chain (VC) of approximately 220 member construction companies in Japan, providing ZEH (Zero Energy House) consulting, joint procurement of eco-building materials, and its proprietary Honeycomb aSsu honeycomb-structured insulated blind. Members pay recurring annual fees to access discounted solar PV systems, resin windows, ventilation, heat pump water heaters, batteries, technical training, and bundled warranty/insurance services (JIO, Solvvy, JHS). The association's primary mission is promoting healthy, comfortable, low-CO2 housing through passive solar design and energy-efficient construction practices.

Product overview

PV Solar House Association operates as a voluntary chain (VC) of approximately 220 member construction companies across Japan, founded in 1997 and reorganized in 1999/2020. Its core product is the proprietary "Honeycomb aSsu" honeycomb-structured insulation blind, which serves as a variable window insulation material for residential windows. The association also provides solar power generation systems (panels, hybrid inverters, mounting hardware) through collective procurement, and a suite of member-only warranty services including: solar equipment defect support (up to 10 years), JIO defect insurance (group-discounted), Solvvy long-term building warranty (initial 20-year, extendable to 60 years), and JHS ground foundation warranty (10–20 years). Additional offerings include V2H equipment, heat pump water heaters (eco-cute), hybrid battery storage, and DR battery subsidy consulting. The portfolio is distributed exclusively through member contractors, combining energy-efficient housing consultation, eco-building material sourcing, and long-term property warranties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ハニカムaSsu (Honeycomb aSsu): The association's original honeycomb-structured insulated blind product. A variable window insulation material that traps air in a honeycomb (bee's nest) structure to prevent outside air infiltration and indoor warm/cool air escape. Available in light-blocking and blackout types with single/double air layer options.

Products and services

• Honeycomb aSsu (ハニカム構造・断熱ブラインド) Proprietary honeycomb-structured insulated blind that traps air in hexagonal cells to suppress heat transfer through windows, serving as a variable window insulation material for both winter heat retention and summer heat shielding. Offered in light-blocking and light-filtering variants with 1mm-precision custom sizing. Sold exclusively through the association's member contractor network.
• Solar Power Generation System (太陽光発電システム) Residential photovoltaic power generation system including panels, hybrid power conditioners (PCS), and mounting hardware. Enables self-consumption of generated electricity and grid feed-in. Distributed to member contractors through the association's joint procurement network, including AIKO Solar 495W panels and ductless ventilation from Japanese Stiebel.
• Regular Member Subscription (ZEH Contractor Network) Annual membership for residential construction contractors building ZEH and energy-efficient homes. Includes ZEH/resilience housing knowledge and technology support, energy-saving building materials at design proposal and reduced prices, training seminars, and warranty/insurance programs. Monthly fee ¥25,000 / Annual fee ¥300,000 (tax excluded), plus ¥250,000 enrollment fee and ¥100,000 basic training fee.
• Associate Member Subscription (Energy-Saving Building Materials Distribution Network) Annual membership for suppliers and distributors of energy-saving building materials related to ZEH and resilience housing. Monthly fee ¥10,000 / Annual fee ¥120,000 (tax excluded), no enrollment fee. Focus on supplying materials to the association's contractor network.
• Joint Procurement Service for Energy-Saving Building Materials Collective procurement service for member contractors covering solar panels, heating/cooling equipment, ventilation systems, hot water systems, high-insulation resin windows, phase-change thermal storage materials, and insulation. Leverages approximately 220 member companies' collective buying power to deliver reduced prices.
• ZEH and Energy-Saving Housing Consulting Energy-saving housing consulting services for member contractors including design proposal support, individual company training, subsidy program guidance, and technical advice on ZEH, passive solar design, and disaster resilience construction.
• Solar Equipment Defect Support Service (太陽光機器不具合サービス) Member-only defect support covering solar power equipment (modules, power conditioners, monitors, batteries) for up to 10 years post-delivery, with support costs up to ¥200,000 per incident.
• Solvvy Long-term Building Warranty (たてもの長期保証) Long-term building warranty provided through Solvvy Corporation: initial 20-year structural and waterproofing guarantees extendable to 60 years, plus 10-year extended coverage for residential equipment. Includes 24-hour, 365-day repair hotline. Available to association members at group-discount pricing.
• JIO Defect Insurance (瑕疵保険) Defect insurance offered through JIO (Japan Home Warranty Inspection Organization) at group-discount rates, covering structural and watertightness defects in new residential properties under Japan's Housing Defect Warranty Act. Includes extended warranty insurance, renovation defect insurance, and existing home defect insurance.
• JHS Ground Foundation Warranty (地盤保証) Ground/foundation warranty through Japan Home Shield offering 10–20 year quality guarantees, backed by over 2.5 million investigation records and proprietary SDS testing and J-RAFT technologies. Provided at group-discount rates to association members.
• PV市場.com Online Distribution Platform Low-cost photovoltaic system distribution website operated by the association since August 2012, providing solar panels and related equipment to member contractors and consumers.
• Resin Sash Mileage Program (樹脂サッシ マイレージ制度) Member-only incentive program offering 1% cashback on purchases of energy-saving resin window sash products (YKK AP, LIXIL, Sankyo Tateyama), redeemable as sales promotion rebates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Residual heat from windows reduced by up to 47% through proper window insulation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Solvvy Corporation (Solvvy株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides building long-term warranty services to members. Offers initial 20-year structural/waterproofing warranty extendable to 60 years maximum, and equipment extended warranty up to 10 years. 24-hour, 365-day repair hotline included. Association members receive group discount pricing.
• JIO - Japan Housing Assurance Inspection Organization (日本住宅保証検査機構)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides defect insurance (JIO My Home Insurance) to members at group discount rates. Covers structural load-bearing parts and rainwater penetration prevention. Also offers extended warranty insurance, renovation defect insurance, and existing home defect insurance.
• JHS - Japan Home Shield (ジャパンホームシールド株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides ground/foundation warranty services to members. Quality warranty period covers construction period plus 10-20 years from delivery. Uses proprietary SDS test and J-RAFT technologies to provide cost-effective ground improvement solutions. Separate position from investigation/construction companies ensures third-party credibility.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Daiwa House Industry: Japan's largest homebuilder with established ZEH and energy-efficient housing programs and vertically integrated procurement of solar, batteries, and insulation for its own contractor/builder network.
• YKK AP: Major manufacturer of architectural sashes, windows, and doors — a strategic supplier/partner of PV Solar House for high-insulation resin windows in ZEH construction.
• LIXIL: Major Japanese building products manufacturer (resin sashes, windows,建材) that partners with PV Solar House for the resin-sash mileage program and supplies high-insulation windows to the same ZEH-targeted contractor base.
• Sekisui House: Major integrated Japanese homebuilder with proprietary ZEH-style smart home offerings; competes for the same end-customers and runs its own supply chain for energy-efficient building components.
• Panasonic Homes: Large residential homebuilder under Panasonic, operating a chain of regional franchise builders and promoting energy-efficient and solar-equipped homes, directly overlapping with PV Solar House's mission.

Others

• Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association (JPEA): Japan's primary industry body for the solar PV industry, with overlapping stakeholder relationships with PV Solar House's member contractors and policy advocacy on subsidies shaping PV Solar House's go-to-market.
• Nichicon: Manufacturer of V2H systems and battery-related products; a strategic supplier referenced in PV Solar House's resilience/residential V2H offerings, indicating adjacency in the ZEH ecosystem rather than direct competition.
• AIKO Solar: Tier-1 PV module supplier whose residential panels (485W, now 495W) are distributed via PV Solar House's procurement channel; an enabling/vendor relationship in the same ZEH supply chain.

Direct peers

• Taiyo Kisetsu (JV-style ZEH groups in Japan): Japan-based voluntary-chain / franchise-type builder alliances aggregating regional contractors for joint procurement and ZEH support — structurally analogous to PV Solar House Association.
• ZEH推進協議会 (ZEH Promotion Council): A Japan-wide ZEH advocacy and certification body that promotes Zero Energy Houses among homebuilders and supports member builders with similar knowledge, training, and consulting services to PV Solar House Association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/honeycomb_assu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PV SOLAR HOUSE ASSOCIATION