Opportunities and issues in international photovoltaic market development

The confluence of technology development and market readiness is opening up major business opportunities for photovoltaic (PV) power systems throughout the developing world. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque (Sandia), working on behalf of the US Department of Energy, have launched pilot projects in several countries throughout the world over the past 3 years. The focus of these pilot projects has been the development of in-country institutional capabilities necessary to deliver the promise of PV electricity to the rural populations. In addition to country-specific activities, NREL is conducting several technology, information and partnership projects focused on further accelerating the education, training, business and technology developments necessary to bridge the gap between promise and reality. This paper summarizes these efforts.