Remote markets for phtovoltaic technologies, 1974 to present and ten year forecast

Globally, the off grid applications for photovoltaic technologies have experienced stable demand growth from the early 1970s through the current period. This growth, which does not rely on incentives, is at a much slower rate than that of the volatile grid-connected application. In fact, off grid applications in both the industrialized and developing world(s) made up the majority of demand for solar products up until the late 1990s. This paper will provide the history of off grid application growth while exploring the future for the various remote applications, including pricing, a discussion of off grid viability as incentive structures change and which price elastic customers might drive the next generation of demand for off grid applications.