The International Adoption of Photovoltaic Energy Conversion Is Japan a Lead Market?

Marian Beise
Additional contact information
Marian Beise: Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration (RIEB), Kobe University, Japan

No 153, Discussion Paper Series from Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University

Abstract: This paper explores on the basis of a case study on photovoltaic energy conversion (PV) whether countries can actively create a lead market for new technology. Solar energy conversion has fascinated people and politicians as an alternative to oil and nuclear energy. Since the discovery of photovoltaic cells that directly convert solar irradiation into electricity it is expected that the mass market for photovoltaic energy conversion will emerge soon. With lots of sunny, at and vacant regions and an electricity-hungry and high-income population, the United States looked to be the natural lead market for solar energy. Yet, two countries that are less favorably endowed with solar energy, Japan and Germany, embarked on establishing a mass market for solar energy conversion through high public subsidies. This paper discusses the prospect of these two countries to set off a bandwagon among all other nations? Reviewing the traditional mechanisms of the international diffusion of innovations, the tentative answer given in this paper is that while local markets have been created, this has not ensured the international success of PV. For its international success, it would be essential to demonstrate that the adoption of PV systems is continuing without subsidies. With the energy production cost of solar cells unlikely to come close to that of conventionally generated electricity in the foreseeable future, the United States looks like the test market for solar energy, where the fate of PV will be answered.

Keywords: Eco Innovations; International Diffusion; Photovoltaic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C53 F14 L80 O31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 24 pages
Date: 2004-02
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.rieb.kobe-u.ac.jp/academic/ra/dp/English/dp153.pdf First version, 2004 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kob:dpaper:153

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Discussion Paper Series from Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University 2-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501 JAPAN. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Office of Promoting Research Collaboration, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University (kenjo@rieb.kobe-u.ac.jp).