Pathways to Sustainable Deployment of Solar Photovoltaic Policies in 20 Leading Countries Using a Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Abstract

The paper investigates the pathways and combinations of factors for the sustainable development of solar photovoltaic policies using a QCA analysis of 20 leading countries. The main finding of this research is the causal relationship between the selected contributing factors and sustainability of the policy outcomes, which is interpreted as high/low GDP with a high democracy level, high fossil-fuel consumption and high LCOE being related to the deployment of market-based policies which include target, FiT and others (subsidies, tax, loans, TGC/RPS); while high/low GDP, low level of PV penetration, high RE investment, and high R&D expenditure contributes to more successful technological-R&D-based policies which include R&D funding and demonstration programs.