In May, Germany met half its energy needs (22 gigawatts) with less sun than the U.S. - Germany has more than a million solar systems or four times U.S. capacity installed by a much smaller population. The primary reason is probably cost and red tape. In Germany, there are no sales taxes or fees, the registration is a simple process and so is connecting to the local utility. In the U.S., a similar system typically costs twice as much. There is no standardization and cities usually require a boatload of permits, regulations and fees. Incidentally, Germany receives less sunlight than anywhere in the contiguous U.S. except Seattle.