Foreword A<^X P-Nrp
The international Energy Agency (IEA) founded in November 1974, is an autonomous body Ct^=j@g
within the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development r/@ Wn
(OECD) which carries out a comprehensive programme of energy co-operation among its 23 /;TtMQt
member countries. The European Commission also participates in the work of the Agency. %QQ 2u$
The IEA PhotoVoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) is one of the collaborative R&D E#3tkFF0Z[
agreements established within the IEA, and since 1993, its Participants have been conducting a N]14~r=
variety of joint projects in the applications of Photovoltaic conversion of solar energy into , hrv
electricity. |#{ i7>2U
The Overall programme is headed by an Executive Committee composed of one representative ^QjkZ^<dD
from each participating country, while the management of individual research projects (Tasks) obN8+ j
is the responsibility of Operating Agents. Currently nine Tasks have been established in the ^O=G%de
IEA PVPS programme. E^gN]Z"O
The Twenty one members are: Australia (AUS), Austria (AUT), Canada (CAN), Denmark L7n G5i
(DNK), European Commission, Finland (FIN), France (FRA), Germany (DEU), Israel (ISR), zk!7TUZ">w
Italy (ITA), Japan (JPN), Korea (KOR), Mexico (MEX), The Netherlands (NLD), Norway "Bwmq9Jq
(NOR), Portugal (PRT), Spain (ESP), Sweden (SWE), Switzerland (CHE), The United c<lEFk!g
Kingdom (GBR), and The United States (USA). %pH|2VB#
Task III of the PVPS programme, active since 1993, focuses on the exchange of information, I(WIT=Wi<
quality assurance and technical surveys on stand alone PV applications. Stand-alone PV $iMLT8U
systems will continue to represent a significant PV market segment, not only in developing -E3cS
countries, but also in the important home markets of industrial countries. Experts from 15 IEA Q, "8Ty
countries are sharing their experiences in this area. 19-V;F@;
This battery guide is intended for a wide use also close to the end customers to increase the bo@
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hands on battery knowledge and thereby increase the system reliability and reduce the lifecycle ?RIf0;G
cost for battery storage in small stand alone photovoltaic systems. Also some basic &c