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In the last few years China has emerged as the world’s solar powerhouse. By setting the ambitious goals of generating 15 per cent of its energy from green sources by 2020 and becoming the world’s largest exporter of clean energy technology, China is posed to become a model for the rest of us to follow.

Serious Chinese Government support has allowed Chinese entrepreneurs to develop and produce some of the cheapest materials, which in turn have driven prices throughout the market down. This trend has helped make it possible for companies like Sungevity to bring affordable solar to Californians!

In addition to emerging as major solar manufacturers, the Chinese are starting to work on their own solar projects. In September 2009, it was announced that Arizona’s First Solar, in conjunction with the Chinese Government, is going to start working on a 25 square mile photovoltaic farm on the Mongolian Steppes. The plant, expected to be complete in 2019, is projected to generate enough energy to power 3 million households!

Check out what Danny Kennedy has to say on the subject at sfgate’s City Brights.

Here at Sungevity, our hats are off to the Chinese for all of their progress. Gung Hay Fat Choy!

After my post yesterday, I was reminded of one of the questions we get about whether or not solar electric systems work in the US.

What we hear a lot is, “I don’t know if my city/ state/ place doesn’t get enough sunlight”.

The truth is all of the USA gets more than enough sunlight to make solar electricity. We have more than the best: Germany is home to about half of the solar electric systems in th world  (in comparison, the US has very little). This is true despite the fact that Germany has the solar potential of a cloudy northern state like Maine (Maine, no offense).

This has very little to do with whether solar works best there, and a lot to do with the political will in Germany to support the solar industry and some really cool companies, like Solon, who took initiative (and made the cool short video in last post). Sungevity is all about taking initiative to get the solar revolution started here…movies might take us some time but we have this blog…