ABSTRACT
One of the first things anyone entering the solar industry needs to do is get to know the market in the country they are working in. The market for grid-connected PV differs from country to country and is largely determined by national support schemes and the level of feed-in tariffs, although even where these are not very attractive, many systems are being installed for prestige reasons and as a statement of an organization’s commitment to the environment. The market for stand-alone systems is different again, and is not only limited to rural areas of developing countries and buildings off the grid in developed countries, but also lends itself to small systems such as signage lighting and street furniture in urban centres where it can prove cheaper than extending the grid. PV can also be integrated within power back up systems, especially where power outages are frequent and can last several hours. The PV global market, at the time of writing, is significantly more than 2000 MWp annually (modules produced) and growing at a rate of about 25 per cent per annum.
