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Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times
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For more than half a century, concerns about oil shortages or a damaged climate have spurred governments to invest in alternative energy sources.
In the 1970s, President Jimmy Carter placed solar panels on the roof of the White House as a symbol of his commitment to developing energy from the sun. In the 1990s, Japan offered homeowners groundbreaking subsidies to install photovoltaic panels. And in the 2000s, Germany developed an innovative program that guaranteed consumers who adopted a solar energy system that they would sell their electricity at a profit.