Australia has played an active role over the last 3 decades in the development of the international photovoltaics (PV) industry. Australia has been involved in pioneering research, manufacturing and application of PV and more recently has led the world in PV education, training and standards development.

Over the last decade, the PV market has boomed, largely as a result of proactive government policies in countries such as Japan, Germany and Spain, in support of grid connected PV applications. PV research, manufacturing and deployment have advanced considerably and the sector is now driven by the goal of 'grid parity' within a decade. While Australia has remained active in all aspects of the PV chain, its relevance has declined and the industry has suffered several boom and bust cycles which have resulted in lack of investment confidence. It is now an opportune time to examine Australia's strengths and weaknesses in the PV sector.

The Australian PV Association has been examining the status of Australia's PV research, manufacturing, grid and off-grid markets, exports, education, training and standards with a view to development of a coherent PV Strategy for Australia over the next decade. Such a Strategy would aim to provide the background for confident investment in the sector, as well as consistent policy support from governments. This paper will present our preliminary findings.