PV is uniquely attractive as a source of electricity for basic services, such as lighting, for more than two billion people currently without access to electricity. The technology is already cost-competitive with traditional alternatives, such as kerosene lamps and small generators. The objective of this Task, which commenced in late 1999, is to increase the overall rate of successful deployment of PV systems in developing countries, through increased co-operation and information exchange with developing countries and the bilateral and multilateral donors. As well as PVPS experts, the Task includes representatives of the World Bank and United Nations Development Programme, and developing country representatives are being invited to participate.

The collaborative work is initially organized in three main categories:

• Improvements to the PV Deployment Infrastructure
  will be achieved by tackling the critical barriers through assembling experiences, both successes and failures, in a range of countries, and thereby preparing Recommended Practice Guides.
• Support to Bilateral, Multilateral Donors and Development Banks
  will be provided through Workshops in the institutions and in client developing countries. Cooperation is also established with the IEA's Renewable Energy Working Party initiatives.
• Technical and Economic Aspects of PV in Developing Countries
  will be investigated for small stand-alone systems, village mini-grid and hybrid systems, and eventually grid-connected systems. Utilities will be involved. Requirements for further research will be communicated to other relevant PVPS Tasks.

Task 9 status reports can be found in the annual reports of the IEA PVPS Programme.

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Publications

The following Task 9 reports are available:

• Photovoltaic Services for Developing Countries - 10 years of Task 9
• Renewable Energy Powered Water Services 2008
• Renewable Energy Services for Developing Countries - In Support of the Millennium Development Goals: Recommended Practice & Key Lessons, February 2008
• Summaries of Task 9 Recommended Practice Guides, November 2005. Financing Mechanisms for Solar Home Systems in Developing
  Countries, Report IEA PVPS T9-01" to "Report IEA PVPS T9-06". Available in English and French 
• Sources of financing for PV-based rural electrification in developing countries, May 2004 
• 16 Case studies on the deployment of photovoltaic technologies in developing countries, September 2003 
• Institutional framework and financial instruments for PV deployment in developing countries, September 2003 
• PV for rural electrification in developing countries – Programme design, planning and implementation, September 2003 
• The role of quality management, hardware certification and accredited training in PV programmes in developing countries, September 2003 
• PV for rural electrification in developing countries – A guide to capacity building requirements, March 2003 
• Summary of models for the implementation of solar home systems in developing countries, March 2003 
• Financing mechanisms for solar home systems in developing countries. The role of financing in the dissemination process, September 2002 

Besides the following papers were presented at international conferences:

• Deployment of photovoltaic technologies: co-operation with developing countries. Task 9 of the International Energy Agency's Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme, October 2002 
• Deployment of photovoltaic technologies: co-operation with developing countries. Task 9 of the International Energy Agency's Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme, October 2001 
• Deployment of photovoltaic technologies: co-operation with developing countries. Task IX of the International Energy Agency's Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme, May 2000 

General information about PV injection in isolated diesel grids can be found in the Task 9 flyer in English (pdf document, 2077 kB) & French (pdf document, 2237 kB)

Contact details for all national representatives of Task 9 can be found under Contacts.

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