Abstract
China is a particularly important place in which to examine the opportunities for renewable energy development due to the size of its current energy demand and its projected renewable energy market potential. In addition to promoting renewable energy development, China is committed to developing indigenous renewable energy technology industries, motivated by the economic—as well as the environmental—benefits these technology industries provide. Already a global leader in solar thermal technology manufacturing and in manufacturing small hydro and wind turbines, China also has burgeoning solar photovoltaic (PV) and utility-scale wind turbine industries. With newly enacted national legislation to promote the development and dissemination of these technologies, many of China’s renewable energy markets are just now beginning to mature. The entry of Chinese manufacturers into rapidly expanding global markets may drive down costs and increase the viability of renewable energy technology utilization worldwide, in both developing and developed country applications.
