As one of the so-called "renewable energies," which also include wind, hydropower, biomass, geo-thermal, and hydrogen, the solar power market size is expected to reach upwards of 74 billion USD by the year 2017 (source: Clean Edge, 2008). In some countries, the cost of implementing solar power solutions has been alleviated somewhat by generous government subsidies. Germany and Japan, for example, were among the first countries to provide individuals and companies with incentives for adopting solar power. These policies led to a marked increase in demand for solar power equipment, providing a major boost to the solar power industry as a whole. In recent years, however, some countries have begun to reduce their solar power subsidies.Download white paper