PROMOTING PHOTOVOLTAIC ELECTRICITY USAGE IN DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES - EXPERIENCE FROM GHANA

The awareness of PV systems as a means to provide electricity for remote small towns and villages with small electrical loads has long been recognised. That PV electricity is not widely patronised by the potential end-users can be attributed to lack of awareness of the existence of the technology and the high initial cost of systems which necessarily has to be paid up front. It is argued that demonstration PV systems can be used to awaken awareness. This will open up the dormant large PV market waiting to be tapped in the developing countries, and this will be to the benefit of the PV manufacturers who can take advantage of the economies of scale to reduce PV systems production cost and, therefore, a reduced selling price. Suggestions are also made for financing the purchase of PV systems by end-users in the developing countries.