Off-Grid Photovoltaic Applications in Indonesia: An Assessment of Current Experience

This paper reports interim findings of a research project that is investigating the sustainability of off-grid Photovoltaic-based Energy Conversion Systems (PVEC) in Indonesia. The general question of this research project is how can PVEC contribute to improving the sustainability of the rural Indonesian communities without access to electricity grid? This study was first introduced at the ANZSES Conference in 2003 where results of the preliminary fieldwork undertaken in late 2002 and early 2003 were presented (Retnanestri et al, 2003). As a follow up to that preliminary fieldwork, more substantive fieldwork was carried out in early 2005. While the preliminary fieldwork identified key issues used to construct the analytical framework for this project, the substantive fieldwork was used to collect more extensive data for analysis. An analytical framework was constructed to investigate to what extent the existing PVEC delivery models address issues of the institutional, socioeconomic, technological and environmental dimensions of sustainability. A broad spectrum of PVEC stakeholders involved in PVEC project operation, including manufacturers, distributors, research agencies and end users were interviewed to understand the extent to which some specific PVEC projects had addressed PVEC sustainability requirements. This included an assessment of the costs, benefits, and values associated with the role of PVEC in fulfilling rural energy needs, its potential role in facilitating sustainable rural development (SRD) and national development at large. Some case studies resulting from the substantive fieldwork are presented and analyzed by using the analytical framework developed for this purpose.