Abstract

A Duel in the Sun analyzes the debate that is raging among government officials, industry members, technologists, and trade specialists about the nature of the competition between the United States and The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) in developing, deploying domestically, and selling internationally solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generating technology.

This is a report for the MIT Future of Solar Energy study and several of the key issues that are raised in this paper PV manufacturing private and public costs, PV technologies, supply chain relationships, and the rationale and choices of different public assistance mechanisms will be analyzed further in the study effort.

John Deutch, Department of Chemistry
Edward Steinfeld, Department of Political Science