Comparison of Sino-US new energy transformation policies and analysis of regional economic synergy effects

As the core carrier of decentralization in the solar energy industry, the development quality of distributed photovoltaic (PV) directly affects the restructuring of the solar industry landscape in China and the United States (U.S.) as well as the global energy transition process. Focusing on distributed PV in China and the U.S. as the core research object, this study systematically analyzes the distributed power generation practices of the two countries by combining grounded theory. It compares differences in the intensity of policy subsidies, the logic of location layout, and power generation efficiency, conducts an in-depth exploration of common challenges and differentiated driving factors in the transition, and puts forward targeted optimization paths for the distributed PV and the overall solar energy industry in both countries. The research shows that policy flexibility, the stability of economic support, and public acceptance are the three core elements for the sustainable development of solar energy decentralization; due to differences in political systems and national conditions, China and the U.S. have formed distinct development paths characterized by government-led scaling and market-led innovation respectively, and need to break through the current development bottlenecks through policy mutual learning and mechanism innovation.