Resumo

MERRITT, Humberto  e  VILCHIS FLORES, Juan Carlos. China’s leadership in solar photovoltaic energy and its impact on international solar panel trade. Méx.cuenca pac [online]. 2024, vol.13, n.37, pp.39-65.  Epub 12-Ago-2024. ISSN 2007-5308.  https://doi.org/10.32870/mycp.v13i37.870.

Since 2015, China has been the world’s leading producer and user of solar energy and also the world’s largest exporter of solar panels. This paper argues that China’s leadership arises from the convergence of factors such as worsening climate change, the use by several countries of fiscal stimuli to promote solar panels, advances in photovoltaic technology (PV), and the momentum of public policies that took advantage of the country’s own economy. The objective is to describe China’s evolution as a world leader in solar energy through a public policy approach. The methodology is based on a qualitative review of global solar energy production statistics and international trade in PV panels from 2001 to 2021 to assess China’s evolution in this field. Empirical findings suggest that China’s policies have played a crucial role in fostering its leadership in renewable energy.

Palavras-chave : China; solar energy; public policy; technological innovation; exports.