EU Observer: Europe can be 'proud' of its solar energy policy
Europe today may not enjoy the envy of the world as it continues to struggle with debts and deficits, but when it comes to solar energy, according to one US entrepreneur, Europe can be proud of itself. It is not by chance that the old continent today is harnessing more solar energy than the rest of the world combined. It is by virtue of policy choices, such as subsidies and binding targets.
"Policy support has been crucial to getting photovoltaics to this place in its development," according to industry association Epia.
Danny Kennedy, founder of California-based solar company Sungevity and former Greenpeace activist, agrees. “The policy has clearly worked,” he told EUobserver.
One of those choices, in 2009, was to set binding renewable energy targets for each EU member state to reach by 2020. This led many countries to introduce some sort of subsidy system. But 2020 is approaching fast and some are calling for new targets to be set for the year 2030.
http://euobserver.com/solar-energy/117445
Glad that Europe is leading the way on the use of solar energy. Shows that a developed, progressive economy can move to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels.