A Comparative Global Overview for Flat-Plate Solar Collectors (FPSCS) in G-7 and G-20 Countries

This study conducts a comparative global quantitative analysis about solar thermal technological systems for developed and developing countries. Flat-plate solar collectors (FPSCs) supply hot water to a storage tank for use. It also supplies hot fluid at much higher temperatures for industrial processes. So, they are introduced and used in our analysis for getting realistic practical life results. The market structure and the government policies are taken as a reference for the comparison. The G-7 and the G-20 countries; along with the European Union (EU) are chosen for observing the differences in markets and policy trends of the solar energy systems in the period between 2005 and 2015. A significant convergence is obtained for the developing countries about catching up to the developed ones on a chosen reference. However, there are critical precautions and strategies that the G-20 countries should consider for sustainable improvements on these technological, environmentally friendly, and energy saving systems. Our study aims to figure out and displays these critical and crucial marketing and policy decisions as a guideline for the demand, the supply, and government sector sides of the developing countries. In the application, we measure the effectiveness of those economic policies for each country by creating a policy development index level, which attains the index values numerically referring the induced renewable energy policy.