In a sparsely populated country like Finland, even though annual solar radiation may be only half that of the sunniest part of the world, PV is an excellent means of providing environment-friendly, reliable and cost-effective electricity in remote areas.

Because photovoltaic systems are reliable, easy to use, and have a long operational life, they have proved to be practical in small-scale off-grid applications, even for the extreme northern climate.

A good example, and the most important professional application for PV in Finland, is for powering navigation aids in sea and lake areas. The National Board of Navigation has some 1400 such devices and the number is increasing. The application is ideal for PV: power consumption is small (5-10 W per light), electricity from the grid is not available, and high reliability is essential. These systems typically consist of 1-3 PV modules (50-150 Wp) and nickel-cadmium batteries. Small-scale off-grid systems are also utilized at 14 coastal locations for the Coast Guard's control stations. These have a total capacity of 4 kWp supplemented by diesel backup systems.

About half of Finland's 400 000 recreational homes are situated off-grid, and of these some 15000-20000 are powered by PV. Generally a photovoltaic system consists of a 50 Wp module an a battery, which is enough to meet lighting, television and radio power demands from spring to autumn. The system is easily expanded because of the modular nature of PV. An example of a larger recreational off-grid application is the self-sufficient summer house: 2,2 kW PV modules are connected through an inverter to run household appliances. In addition to recreational homes, boats and caravans are natural point of use for PV. Walkers in the vast uninhabited areas in Finnish Lapland also benefit from photovoltaics: emergency telephones in several huts on the walking routes are powered by PV.

Successful grid-connected applications include Imatran Voima Ltd.'s 30 kWp PV power plant in southern Finland - one of the most northerly grid-connected solar power stations in the world. It has functioned since 1989 and its annual energy output is approximately 20 MWh. Building-integrated PV is also arousing interest and is potentially a more cost-effective form of grid-connection. At present there are four grid-connected, building-integrated photovoltaic systems in Finland. The first 3 kWp system was installed in 1990 by Helsinki University of Technology. The three other systems are each rated at 1 kWp: PV is integrated in an office building in an experimental plastic house, and in a single-family house.

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