Technical development of equipment for rural electrification resulting from the lessons drawn from the Polynesian programmes of the eighties

The information gathered by the author as an operating manager when implementing the first photovoltaic rural electrification and technology transfer programme carried out to date in the world in French Polynesia from 1978 to 1990 are detailed. The technical developments of equipment and the work in progress at the GENEC Cadarache within French, European or IEA programmes in order to improve various components or appliances and make up for certain deficiencies are presented. This involves accelerated aging tests, standardization work and the development of high efficiency equipment. Nontechnical barriers are often emphasized. Technical barriers also exist. Considerable work in many domains of small PV power systems remains to be done so as to combine all the conditions required to implement successful large programmes in developed as well as in developing countries