Comparing solar generation with anywhere except Mason County is a frustrating task. There are so many variables that go into the production (see: Capacity Factor) and financial benefit of a solar PV system. A comparable position on the globe certainly isn’t helpful because local climate isn’t a latitude/longitude based system! You also should consider the political climate, which varies greatly from state-to-state, as well as between different countries.
Germany has been a global leader in installed solar capacity and is often put forth as an example of why solar PV is a great idea for Western Washington, because we’re at approximately the same latitude, with a similar solar radiation score. It’s important to also consider the political climate for solar PV systems in Germany. The German government has heavily subsidized the installation of renewable energy through many measures over the years. There are also lucrative "feed in tariffs" allowing owners of distributed generation systems to sell power back to the grid at very favorable rates. Permitting for solar PV systems, and the systems themselves are also cheaper in Germany.
It should also be mentioned that there is a price to pay for these "favorable" conditions: the average cost of electricity in Germany is $0.35/kWh, which is among the highest in the world. To compare, USA is about $0.12/kWh and PUD 3 is a little more than $0.07/kWh. Unfortunately, these incentive and pricing structures can mask true evaluation on whether solar PV is a good fit for a "comparable climate" such as Germany.
