The Contribution of Photovoltaics to Meeting the Millennium Development Goals -the role of the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power SystemsProgramme

摘要

With the agreement by the International Community to support the United Nations’Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) [1], the provision of overseas development aidis increasingly targeted at the alleviation of poverty. However, neither access to modernenergy services in general, nor provision of electricity, are recognised as specific goals inthemselves. It is nevertheless important to realise that providing electricity plays acentral role in poverty alleviation, through its impacts on education, health and localenterprise, as well as access to modern telecommunications and information technologyresources.This paper presents the work of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) ImplementingAgreement on Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS), in relation to developing countriesand the MDGs. The IEA PVPS has several ‘Tasks’ (research projects) each of whichfocuses on various aspects of PV and its applications [2]. Task 9 has the objective ofincreasing the overall rate of sustainable deployment of PV systems in developingcountries. The Task is unique amongst the activities of the IEA in that it is the only Taskthat works exclusively on PV applications in countries that are not members of the IEA –I.e., the developing world. The first 5-year phase was completed in May 2004, and anambitious second phase has now commenced.