ABSTRACT
Programme Overview In 1986, in a collaborative effort with a municipally-owned utilityand the state ofSaarland, the local government of Saarbriicken set out to develop what has become Europe's leading municipal-level solar energy demonstration initiative. Saarbriicken recently broadened its solar energy initiatives as a strategic part of its greenhouse gas Local Action Plan, thereby paving the way for solar energy to be considered as a possible greenhouse-gas reduction measure in northern-latitude municipalities. Saarbriicken's leaders are planning a transition from fossil-fuel dependence to a solar economy by sponsoring solar energy demonstration projects that encourage the local development of new businesses, trades, and financing instruments.
