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Between the Cost Crisis and the Energy Transition: Why PV Self-Sufficiency Is Becoming a Strategic Competitive Factor for Industry. Results of a Qualitative Study Comparing Germany and China
International Journal of Psychology and Strategic Communication, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 133–140, 2026
https://doi.org/10.61030/FMKU5576
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Abstract
Rising energy costs, volatile electricity markets, and geopolitical uncertainties are reshaping the economic conditions of the manufacturing industry. Energy is therefore no longer perceived merely as an operational input, but increasingly as a strategic factor affecting competitiveness, resilience, and location quality. This article examines how energy self-sufficiency through solar energy is perceived and implemented in the manufacturing sector and identifies differences between Germany and China. The study is based on a qualitative, exploratory research design comprising six written expert surveys and a supplementary PESTEL analysis. The findings indicate that, in industrial practice, energy self-sufficiency is rarely understood as complete independence from the public grid; rather, it is perceived as a gradual and measurable reduction in external electricity demand. Photovoltaics seldom unfolds its strategic potential in isolation, but primarily as part of an integrated system consisting of storage, energy management, and load control. The main drivers include cost reduction, cost stability, security of supply, and resilience, while major barriers arise from grid connection procedures, approval processes, regulatory complexity, and investment constraints. The article thus demonstrates that PV-based self-sufficiency is far more than a sustainability technology for industrial firms; it is increasingly becoming an instrument of industrial risk and competitiveness management.
Keywords: Photovoltaics, energy self-sufficiency, manufacturing industry, self-sufficiency, energy management, Germany, China, qualitative research
Title
Between the Cost Crisis and the Energy Transition: Why PV Self-Sufficiency Is Becoming a Strategic Competitive Factor for Industry. Results of a Qualitative Study Comparing Germany and China
Journal / Publisher Details
Abstract
Rising energy costs, volatile electricity markets, and geopolitical uncertainties are reshaping the economic conditions of the manufacturing industry. Energy is therefore no longer perceived merely as an operational input, but increasingly as a strategic factor affecting competitiveness, resilience, and location quality. This article examines how energy self-sufficiency through solar energy is perceived and implemented in the manufacturing sector and identifies differences between Germany and China. The study is based on a qualitative, exploratory research design comprising six written expert surveys and a supplementary PESTEL analysis. The findings indicate that, in industrial practice, energy self-sufficiency is rarely understood as complete independence from the public grid; rather, it is perceived as a gradual and measurable reduction in external electricity demand. Photovoltaics seldom unfolds its strategic potential in isolation, but primarily as part of an integrated system consisting of storage, energy management, and load control. The main drivers include cost reduction, cost stability, security of supply, and resilience, while major barriers arise from grid connection procedures, approval processes, regulatory complexity, and investment constraints. The article thus demonstrates that PV-based self-sufficiency is far more than a sustainability technology for industrial firms; it is increasingly becoming an instrument of industrial risk and competitiveness management.
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Cite this article
Dietmar Pfaff, Sascha Pohl, & Dr. Patrick Hedfeld (2026). Between the Cost Crisis and the Energy Transition: Why PV Self-Sufficiency Is Becoming a Strategic Competitive Factor for Industry. Results of a Qualitative Study Comparing Germany and China. International Journal of Psychology and Strategic Communication, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.61030/FMKU5576
Dietmar Pfaff, Sascha Pohl, & Dr. Patrick Hedfeld (2026) 'Between the Cost Crisis and the Energy Transition: Why PV Self-Sufficiency Is Becoming a Strategic Competitive Factor for Industry. Results of a Qualitative Study Comparing Germany and China', International Journal of Psychology and Strategic Communication, 2(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.61030/FMKU5576
Dietmar Pfaff, Sascha Pohl, & Dr. Patrick Hedfeld. "Between the Cost Crisis and the Energy Transition: Why PV Self-Sufficiency Is Becoming a Strategic Competitive Factor for Industry. Results of a Qualitative Study Comparing Germany and China." International Journal of Psychology and Strategic Communication 2(1) (2026). https://doi.org/10.61030/FMKU5576
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