Under American trade laws, Wednesday was the deadline for the department to either begin a formal inquiry — unless it judged the case to be groundless — or find that few companies manufacturing panels in the United States actually supported it.
The United States is still strong in making factory equipment for manufacturing solar panels, Mr. Meyer said, and should let China actually make the panels as long as Chinese banks and local and provincial governments refuse to admit defeat and continue covering most of the costs.
Manufacturing solar panels to track the movement of the sun capturing significantly more sunlight is not a new innovation.
Several companies, including Wayne-Dalton, in Mount Hope, Ohio, are manufacturing fabric panels coated with PVC, a type of plastic, to protect windows and open areas, including patios and lanais.
"It is right we go on supporting industry but we should do it recognising the cost of manufacturing solar panels has plummeted," said Cameron.
In Toledo, Ohio, a city that grew by making glass for the auto industry, factories are shifting into something with a potentially more lucrative future: manufacturing solar panels.
SolarWorld wants to get the word out that while its headquarters is in Germany, it is manufacturing solar panels in the United States and providing jobs for Americans, said Ben Santarris, a spokesman for its American operations.
Chinese officials have rejected those suggestions and have hinted that they might retaliate with a trade case against American exports of polysilicon, a material used in manufacturing solar panels.
When scientists at Dow Chemical looked at the possibility of manufacturing solar panels a few years ago, the company rejected it out of hand, says Chief Executive Andrew Liveris.
