Germany, with moderate solar resources, is a global leader of solar PV thanks to its public policy of  Feed-in Tariffs (FITs). Germany has a cumulative installed capacity of 10GW with 3.8GW installed in 2008 alone. Other EU leaders in PV capacity include Spain (2.5 GW in 2008) and Italy (720MW in 2009). The US, while lacking a federal FIT program, increased its solar capacity in 2009 by 40%, with Hawaii becoming the first state to achieve grid parity.

In this discussion, we will examine the incentives that US states and EU countries have implemented to stimulate their solar markets and the effect such incentives have had on their installed solar capacities.

• Why have FITs worked so well in Germany? 
• How has France shifted its FIT Policy and what will be the consequences?
• What can we learn from the boom and bust cycle in Spain?
• What incentives have proven to be effective in the US? Should the US adopt FITs? 

• What combination of geography, natural resources, infrastructure, and policies make Grid Parity possible? What states and countries are slated to reach grid parity next? What increase in solar capacity and generation can we expect? 

• What are the direct and indirect economic benefits of achieving grid parity?
• How will grid parity affect the solar industry?
  

Speakers:

Law Firm Allena, Anne-Laure Saint-Girons, Partner

EPIA (European Photovoltaic Industry Association), Dr. Winfried Hoffmann, Vice-President

Navigant Consulting, Paula Mints, Director, Energy Division, Principal Analyst, Solar Services Program