Now Italy catches the solar bug

From Reuters UK

Italy may soon become Europe’s next frontier for solar energy as new incentives prompt investors to bet on higher returns than in Germany, which has less sun but is currently the hub of a growing global market.

What’s the significance for the U.S? Both Germany and Italy have embraced the concept of the Feed-in Tariff, in which citizens installing solar arrays are guaranteed above-market prices from utilities for the solar power they generate and feed into the grid. Under the new Italian law, payback for such installations should occur within 8-12 years, somewhat faster than the German model. But both Germans and Italians are rushing to build solar, as the programs do what such incentive programs are supposed to do—encourage people with the ability to choose their power options to choose responsibly. In the U.S., we struggle with pallid net metering laws that have not, so far, caused Americans to replicate the rush to Solar that sun-kissed Italy and even cloudy Germany have witnessed.

Read the complete Reuters article here.