A number of major players from the global solar photovoltaics (PV) industry have announced the formation of a Global Solar Council (GSC). The goal of the GSC’s establishment is to promote the sustainable, cost-competitive expansion of global development of solar power through encouraging the use of supportive government policies and trade environments.
The GSC is composed of CEOs from a number of big names in the solar industry, including First Solar Inc., Siemens AG, and Suntech Power Co Ltd. Their aim is to emphasise governments to create circumstances that allow the solar industry have competition that is free, fair, and based on “quality, technology, service, and price”, alluding to the US-China solar trade dispute, at the heart of which is contention over Chinese government subsidisation of solar PV manufacturing.
The aims of the organisation go beyond the promotion of the deployment of solar PV globally to also encompass job creation and economic growth through “favourable policy regimes, energy market access, reducing import duties on manufacturing inputs, providing pre-competitive research and development support and other measures that will allow firms to lower their costs and compete at lower prices.” According to the GSC website, “The Council addresses all parts of the solar equation such as material supply chain, financing, policy support, research and development, cross-national cooperation, and grid development and management.”
The formation of the organisation represents a larger degree of cohesion to the solar industry, and is symbolic of its growing global clout. Whether it will succeed in its goals–in particular in heading off trade disputes–remains to be seen.
Top image via Global Solar Council website.
© 2012 Solar Choice Pty Ltd
He is now the communications manager for energy technology startup SwitchDin, but remains an occasional contributor to the Solar Choice blog.
James lives in Newcastle in a house with a weird solar system.
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