Top Ten Reasons to invest in Green Energy

1. Government Incentives. Governments have, so far, been the major drivers of the solar industry and their intervention is increasing year on year. At least 48 countries now have some type of renewable energy promotion policy, including 14 developing countries. Most targets are for shares of electricity production, typically 5 percent-30 percent, by 2010-2012. The 2004 market leaders in renewable energy were Brazil in biofuels, China in solar hot water, Germany in solar electricity, and Spain in wind power.

2. Growth Market. The renewable energy market is growing rapidly in response to global energy needs. More and more investors, householders and companies are turning to renewable energy. It is estimated that nearly 40 million households worldwide heat their water with solar collectors, most of them installed in the last five years. Altogether, renewable energy industries provide 1.7 million jobs, most of them skilled and well-paying.

3. Oil Prices Rising. Oil prices have reached a record high, and are still increasing and so it is becoming more and more difficult to find oil and coal reserves, and so driving energy prices up further. A large part of the world oil supply can be found in politically turbulent countries (with OPEC having dominant control over world oil supply and prices) many countries a looking towards energy alternatives in order to break dependence.

4. A New Way. Historically, shares and property have been the main investment vehicles available, and right now it seems that these routes to profit are not working. With a lack of equity in the marketplace and the subsequent rise in commodity prices, the financial markets have become an even more volatile place to invest money. Investors will be hearing much more about renewable energy as an investment vehicle in the coming months and years. It is becoming cheaper to produce and has an attractive income stream, is government and bank backed, which means it is secure, and it will provide investors with the peace of mind that they are contributing to the global need for energy independence from oil and long term security.

5. The Fastest Growing energy Technology in the World is grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV), which grew in existing capacity by 60 percent per year from 2000-2004, to cover more than 400,000 rooftops in Japan, Germany, and the United States. Second is wind power capacity, which grew by 28 percent last year, led by Germany, with almost 17 gigawatts installed as of 2004.

6. Over 4.5 Million "Green" Power Consumers in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan purchased renewable electricity at the retail level or through certificates in 2004.

7. To Cash in on All of the Above. Following the down-turn in the property market in the UK, investors are looking at alternative growth sectors that offer leverage, security and cash-flow (an income). The potential of investment into this environmentally green sector demonstrates all the benefits of more traditional investment markets such as property, stock and shares.

8. Great PR to Reduce your Carbon Footprint. Through media and government coverage and influence, many are now becoming very aware of their individual and collect carbon footprints. Households are turning lights off when leaving a room, turning the television off at the set rather than standby, walking short journeys instead of driving. We are all becoming increasing conscious of our effects on global warming as individuals, yet many businesses are heavily penalised for their negative contributions to the environment. For example, freight lorries for large retailers and airliners for their highly polluting fuel emissions are all covered in the media for the affects on the atmosphere. Many of these companies are now looking to offset this negative press by investing in renewable energy sources with a strong PR team to ensure it is publicised.

9. Strong Financing Options. Strong lending is available up to 90% on solar, whereas finance on property is currently only lending up to 60%

10. Global Warming. Scientists agree that the average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8°C over the past 100 years. The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels, agriculture, land clearing, and other human activities, are believed to be the primary sources of the global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years. Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate carrying out research on global warming have recently predicted that global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100. Changes resulting from global warming are the melting of the polar ice caps reading to rising sea levels, increase in occurrence and severity of storms, for example.