A Rich History, A Bright Future

For over 30 years, The Solar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has promoted the use of solar energy technologies to help meet the world's energy needs. Through education, research and market transformation, The Solar Foundation strives to increase the use of solar energy, our cleanest, greatest, and most available energy source.

On December 28, 2011, we published a discussion paper for the Inter-American Development Bank. This paper aims to present a snapshot of some of the best practices in the promotion and use of renewable energy, and provide practical examples of the development of renewable energy markets that countries in Latin America and the Caribbean can replicate. This brief study provides an overview of some of the most widely used renewable energy technologies. It also examines current and potential renewable energy markets in Latin America and the Caribbean, economic development benefits of expanding renewable energy markets, policy tools and mechanisms that have been used to build and promote renewable energy in the United States, and the role governments and the private sector can play. This paper was presented at the Fifth Americas Competiveness Forum for the Inter-American Development Bank and Compete Caribbean Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, October 5-7, 2011. Watch the video of The Solar Foundation's Executive Director, Andrea Luecke, speaking on renewable energy and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

On October 17, 2011, The Solar Foundation, in partnership with GreenLMI and Cornell University, released its National Solar Jobs Census 2011 report!