2002 has been a remarkably productive year for the Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme IEA  PVPS. All current tasks have produced important work and published a number of new reports. Several Tasks have held workshops in conjunction with their meetings, thereby increasing the exchange of information and interaction with the target audience of our work. Following the formal closing of Task 5 on the design and grid interconnection of building integrated and other dispersed photovoltaic systems and Task 7 on photovoltaic power systems in the built environment, a wealth of new information is now available on these two important projects. The dissemination of these results as well as those of all other current projects is ongoing, both through the IEA-PVPS website as well as through targeted distribution within our member countries. I do like to emphasize the important role of dissemination by well defined means which determines the ultimate impact of our collaborative work.

During the year, the second term 1998 - 2002 of the IEA  PVPS Programme was successfully concluded with an impressive list of achievements: more than 50 IEA  PVPS reports, books and databases, 10 PVPS newsletters, 25 workshops and conferences with a total attendance of about 1 600 participants, a IEA  PVPS website and other means of information dissemination are some of the data which quantitatively characterize the results of 5 years of collaborative R&D work.

According to the procedures of the IEA, the Executive Committee provided the higher committees – the Renewable Energy Working Party (REWP) and the Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT) with an End-of-Term report in which the work and the achievements over the past term were summarized. Both the REWP and the CERT approved this report, congratulated IEA  PVPS on its achievements and agreed to another 5 year extension of the IEA  PVPS Programme as proposed by the Executive Committee. The IEA  PVPS Executive Committee will not limit itself to a mere continuation of the collaborative R&D activities but has decided to adapt its strategy to selected current issues of the photovoltaic technologies and their markets. This strategy will be characterized by three main lines which emphasize the role of PVPS in the new term:

• A stronger focus on the requirements for successful implementation of PV power systems in different applications;
• Working with a broader set of stakeholders, organizations and industry (including co-operation with other IEA implementing agreements);
• Supporting the transition towards self-sustained markets.

This brings me to the immediate future of our collaborative programme. In order to formalize the intentions mentioned above, the Executive Committee will adopt a new, detailed strategic plan which will describe the objectives, activities and expected outcomes in relationship to the needs, opportunities and means.

On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, IEA  PVPS will hold an international conference in May 2003 in Osaka, Japan. This conference will provide a unique opportunity to share information and exchange views on PV policies and markets with important stakeholders from all over the world. We will use this opportunity to review our activities over the past decade and to present and discuss our future strategy. The conference outcomes are thus also intended to have a direct impact on our future work.

Finally, the IEA  PVPS Executive Committee is preparing a new project – Task 10 – which will be a follow-up of Task 7 on photovoltaic power systems in the built environment. This new Task is intended to translate the strategic issues highlighted above to concrete activities.

IEA  PVPS continues to be committed to an ambitious role with true contributions to the sustained deployment of photovoltaic technologies. I take this opportunity to thank all Executive Committee members, Operating Agents and Task Experts which help to make this ambitious target become reality.

Stefan Nowak
Chairman
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