ABSTRACT
A photovoltaic (PV) system was used to provide electricity for a South Pole expedition. This expedition saw two explorers cross a vast section of the Antarctic continent on skis and pulkas. The PV system was used to power a satellite telephone under extreme climatic conditions. The PV system also served as a back-up for the lithium batteries for a video camera. The two explorers, Bernard Voyer and Thierry Petry, were the first North Americans to reach the South Pole unassisted, on skis. Each had to pull a pulka of 170 kg over an uneven surface of stratified ice swells. Sunlight was available 24 hours a day during their expedition. PV systems have been used in expeditions going to the North Pole, the South Pole and Mount Everest. Photovoltaics can supply with extreme reliability the needs of these expeditions. PV systems are often used in fixed autonomous applications such as telecommunication towers, water pumping or remote dwellings.
