Trade policies for a renewable-powered future

Open and transparent trade policies implemented over several decades have resulted in lower barriers to goods and services trade, including goods and services related to renewable energies in general and solar PV in particular. More open and transparent trade regimes have enabled the emergence of a globally integrated solar PV market where silicon, wafers, cells, modules, inverters, mounting systems, combiner boxes and other solar PV components, along with the machines to manufacture PV cells, modules and panels, are routinely traded back and forth among countries along tightly integrated value chains. Additional policy efforts to reduce remaining trade barriers and facilitate trade could further enhance solar PV supply chains, reduce costs and accelerate the dissemination of solar PV and other renewable energies to where they are needed.