Some solar panel manufacturers in the US are suing China through the World Trade Organization, complaining that the price of solar panels being sold in the US by Chinese exporters is below the cost of production. It's illegal to sell goods for below the cost of production because that's a practice used to drive other companies out of business, after which companies can run up prices and make a huge profit as monopolists.
The tremendous drops in solar panel prices have been a wind at the back of those who would increase solar energy's share of the energy market, but they may prove to be short-lived. If this suit goes through, prices will surely rise, helping those companies who produce solar panels in this country but hurting consumers in the short run. In the long run, prices should still drop, but not as quickly. Sorry, solar panel installers, consumers, and solar energy advocates!
