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Search form, the future of solar energy: an interdisciplinary mit study, [ read full article ], abstract/summary:.

Solar electricity generation is one of very few low-carbon energy technologies with the potential to grow to very large scale. As a consequence, massive expansion of global solar generating capacity to multi-terawatt scale is very likely an essential component of a workable strategy to mitigate climate change risk. Recent years have seen rapid growth in installed solar generating capacity, great improvements in technology, price, and performance, and the development of creative business models that have spurred investment in residential solar systems. Nonetheless, further advances are needed to enable a dramatic increase in the solar contribution at socially acceptable costs. Achieving this role for solar energy will ultimately require that solar technologies become cost-competitive with fossil generation, appropriately penalized for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, with — most likely — substantially reduced subsidies.

This study examines the current state of U.S. solar electricity generation, the several technological approaches that have been and could be followed to convert sunlight to electricity, and the market and policy environments the solar industry has faced. Our objective is to assess solar energy’s current and potential competitive position and to identify changes in U.S. government policies that could more efficiently and effectively support the industry’s robust, long-term growth.

We focus in particular on three preeminent challenges for solar generation: reducing the cost of installed solar capacity, ensuring the availability of technologies that can support expansion to very large scale at low cost, and easing the integration of solar generation into existing electric systems. Progress on these fronts will contribute to greenhouse-gas reduction efforts, not only in the United States but also in other nations with developed electric systems. It will also help bring light and power to the more than one billion people worldwide who now live without access to electricity.

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Schmalensee, R., V. Bulovic, R. Armstrong, C. Batlle, P. Brown, J. Deutch, H. Jacoby, R. Jaffe, J. Jean, R. Miller, F. O'Sullivan, J. Parsons, J.I. Pérez-Arriaga, N. Seifkar, R. Stoner and C. Vergara

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The Future of Solar Energy: A summary and recommendations for policymakers

Members of the mit study team met with congressional and white house officials and distributed this executive summary of their findings.

future of solar energy research paper

On May 5, 2015, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, an MIT team released The Future of Solar Energy , the latest of seven multidisciplinary MIT reports that examine the role that various energy sources could play in meeting energy demand in a carbon-constrained future.

Solar electricity generation is one of the few low-carbon energy technologies with the potential to grow to very large scale. Recent years have seen rapid growth in installed solar generating capacity; great improvements in tech­nology, price, and performance; and the development of creative business models that have spurred investment in residential solar systems. Nonetheless, further advances are needed to enable a dramatic increase in solar penetration at socially acceptable costs.

In the Future of Solar Energy study —which led to the report—a team of more than 30 experts investigated the potential for expanding solar generating capacity to the multi-terawatt scale by midcentury. The experts examined the current state of US solar electricity generation, the several technological approaches that have been and could be followed to convert sunlight to electricity, and the market and policy environments the solar industry has faced. Their objective was to assess solar energy’s current and potential competitive position and to identify changes in US government policies that could more efficiently and effectively support the industry’s robust, long-term growth.

Their findings are presented in the 350-page The Future of Solar Energy report and five related publications . The following article presents a summary and recommendations for policymakers and is reprinted from the report.

Summary for policymakers

Massive expansion of solar generation worldwide by midcentury is likely a necessary component of any serious strategy to mitigate climate change. Fortunately, the solar resource dwarfs current and projected future electricity demand. In recent years, solar costs have fallen substantially, and installed capacity has grown very rapidly. Even so, solar energy today accounts for only about 1% of US and global electricity generation. Particularly if a substantial price is not put on carbon dioxide emissions, expanding solar output to the level appropriate to the climate challenge likely will not be possible at tolerable cost without significant changes in government policies.

The main goal of US solar policy should be to build the foundation for a massive scale-up of solar generation over the next few decades.

Our study focuses on three challenges for achieving this goal: developing new solar technologies, integrating solar generation at large scale into existing electric systems, and designing efficient policies to support solar technology deployment.

Take a long-term approach to technology development

Photovoltaic (PV) facilities account for most solar electric generation in the US and globally. The dominant PV technology, used in about 90% of installed PV capacity, is wafer-based crystalline silicon. This technology is mature and is supported by a fast-growing, global industry with the capability and incentive to seek further improvements in cost and performance. In the United States, non-module or balance-of-system (BOS) costs account for some 65% of the price of utility-scale PV installations and about 85% of the price of the average residential rooftop unit. Therefore, federal R&D support should focus on fundamental research into novel technologies that hold promise for reducing both module and BOS costs.

The federal PV R&D program should focus on new technologies, not—as has been the trend in recent years—on near-term reductions in the cost of crystalline silicon.

Today’s commercial thin-film technologies, which account for about 10% of the PV market, face severe scale-up constraints because they rely on scarce elements. Some emerging thin-film technologies use Earth-abundant materials and promise low weight and flexibility. Research to overcome their current limitations in terms of efficiency, stability, and manufacturability could yield lower BOS costs, as well as lower module costs.

Federal PV R&D should focus on efficient, environmentally benign thin-film technologies that use Earth-abundant materials.

The other major solar generation technology is concentrated solar power (CSP) or solar thermal generation. Loan guarantees for commercial-scale CSP projects have been an important form of federal support for this technology, even though CSP is less mature than PV. Because of the large risks involved in commercial-scale projects, this approach does not adequately encourage experimentation with new materials and designs.

Federal CSP R&D efforts should focus on new materials and system designs and should establish a program to test these in pilot-scale facilities, akin to those common in the chemical industry.

Prepare for much greater penetration of PV generation

CSP facilities can store thermal energy for hours, so they can produce dispatchable power. But CSP is only suitable for regions without frequent clouds or haze, and CSP is currently more costly than PV. PV will therefore continue for some time to be the main source of solar generation in the United States. In competitive wholesale electricity markets, the market value of PV output falls as PV penetration increases. This means PV costs have to keep declining for new PV investments to be economic. PV output also varies over time, and some of that variation is imperfectly predictable. Flexible fossil generators, demand management, CSP, hydro-electric facilities, and pumped storage can help cope with these characteristics of solar output. But they are unlikely to prove sufficient when PV accounts for a large share of total generation.

R&D aimed at developing low-cost, scalable energy storage technologies is a crucial part of a strategy to achieve economic PV deployment at large scale.

Because distribution network costs are typically recovered through per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) charges on electricity consumed, owners of distributed PV generation shift some network costs, including the added costs to accommodate significant PV penetration, to other network users. These cost shifts subsidize distributed PV but raise issues of fairness and could engender resistance to PV expansion.

Pricing systems need to be developed and deployed that allocate distribution network costs to those that cause them and that are widely viewed as fair.

Establish efficient subsidies for solar deployment

Support for current solar technology helps create the foundation for major scale-up by building experience with manufacturing and deployment and by overcoming institutional barriers. But federal subsidies are slated to fall sharply after 2016.

Drastic cuts in federal support for solar technology deployment would be unwise.

On the other hand, while continuing support is warranted, the current array of federal, state, and local solar subsidies is wasteful. Much of the investment tax credit, the main federal subsidy, is consumed by transaction costs. Moreover, the subsidy per installed watt is higher where solar costs are higher (e.g., in the residential sector), and the subsidy per kWh 
of generation is higher where the solar resource is less abundant.

Policies to support solar deployment should reward generation, not investment; should not provide greater subsidies to residential generators than to utility-scale generators; and should avoid the use of tax credits.

State renewable portfolio standard (RPS) programs provide important support for solar generation. However, state-to-state differences and siting restrictions lead to less generation per dollar of subsidy than a uniform national program would produce.

State RPS programs should be replaced by 
a uniform national program. If this is not possible, states should remove restrictions on out-of-state siting of eligible solar generation.

This summary appears in The Future of Solar Energy: An Interdisciplinary MIT Study , by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. The study was supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; the Arunas A. and Pamela A. Chesonis Family Foundation; Duke Energy; Edison International; the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC; and Booz Allen Hamilton.

This article appears in the Autumn 2015 issue of Energy Futures .

Press inquiries: [email protected]

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Solar photovoltaic technology: A review of different types of solar cells and its future trends

Mugdha V Dambhare 1 , Bhavana Butey 1 and S V Moharil 2

Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd Journal of Physics: Conference Series , Volume 1913 , International Conference on Research Frontiers in Sciences (ICRFS 2021) 5th-6th February 2021, Nagpur, India Citation Mugdha V Dambhare et al 2021 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1913 012053 DOI 10.1088/1742-6596/1913/1/012053

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1 G H Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur, India

2 Department of Physics, PGTD, Nagpur

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The Sun is source of abundant energy. We are getting large amount of energy from the Sun out of which only a small portion is utilized. Sunlight reaching to Earth's surface has potential to fulfill all our ever increasing energy demands. Solar Photovoltaic technology deals with conversion of incident sunlight energy into electrical energy. Solar cells fabricated from Silicon aie the first generation solar cells. It was studied that more improvement is needed for large absorption of incident sunlight and increase in efficiency of solar cells. Thin film technology and amorphous Silicon solar cells were further developed to meet these conditions. In this review, we have studied a progressive advancement in Solar cell technology from first generation solar cells to Dye sensitized solar cells, Quantum dot solar cells and some recent technologies. This article also discuss about future trends of these different generation solar cell technologies and their scope to establish Solar cell technology.

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Article Contents

Introduction, 1 installed capacity and application of solar energy worldwide, 2 the role of solar energy in sustainable development, 3 the perspective of solar energy, 4 conclusions, conflict of interest statement.

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Solar energy technology and its roles in sustainable development

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Ali O M Maka, Jamal M Alabid, Solar energy technology and its roles in sustainable development, Clean Energy , Volume 6, Issue 3, June 2022, Pages 476–483, https://doi.org/10.1093/ce/zkac023

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Solar energy is environmentally friendly technology, a great energy supply and one of the most significant renewable and green energy sources. It plays a substantial role in achieving sustainable development energy solutions. Therefore, the massive amount of solar energy attainable daily makes it a very attractive resource for generating electricity. Both technologies, applications of concentrated solar power or solar photovoltaics, are always under continuous development to fulfil our energy needs. Hence, a large installed capacity of solar energy applications worldwide, in the same context, supports the energy sector and meets the employment market to gain sufficient development. This paper highlights solar energy applications and their role in sustainable development and considers renewable energy’s overall employment potential. Thus, it provides insights and analysis on solar energy sustainability, including environmental and economic development. Furthermore, it has identified the contributions of solar energy applications in sustainable development by providing energy needs, creating jobs opportunities and enhancing environmental protection. Finally, the perspective of solar energy technology is drawn up in the application of the energy sector and affords a vision of future development in this domain.

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With reference to the recommendations of the UN, the Climate Change Conference, COP26, was held in Glasgow , UK, in 2021. They reached an agreement through the representatives of the 197 countries, where they concurred to move towards reducing dependency on coal and fossil-fuel sources. Furthermore, the conference stated ‘the various opportunities for governments to prioritize health and equity in the international climate movement and sustainable development agenda’. Also, one of the testaments is the necessity to ‘create energy systems that protect and improve climate and health’ [ 1 , 2 ].

The Paris Climate Accords is a worldwide agreement on climate change signed in 2015, which addressed the mitigation of climate change, adaptation and finance. Consequently, the representatives of 196 countries concurred to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions [ 3 ]. The Paris Agreement is essential for present and future generations to attain a more secure and stable environment. In essence, the Paris Agreement has been about safeguarding people from such an uncertain and progressively dangerous environment and ensuring everyone can have the right to live in a healthy, pollutant-free environment without the negative impacts of climate change [ 3 , 4 ].

In recent decades, there has been an increase in demand for cleaner energy resources. Based on that, decision-makers of all countries have drawn up plans that depend on renewable sources through a long-term strategy. Thus, such plans reduce the reliance of dependence on traditional energy sources and substitute traditional energy sources with alternative energy technology. As a result, the global community is starting to shift towards utilizing sustainable energy sources and reducing dependence on traditional fossil fuels as a source of energy [ 5 , 6 ].

In 2015, the UN adopted the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and recognized them as international legislation, which demands a global effort to end poverty, safeguard the environment and guarantee that by 2030, humanity lives in prosperity and peace. Consequently, progress needs to be balanced among economic, social and environmental sustainability models [ 7 ].

Many national and international regulations have been established to control the gas emissions and pollutants that impact the environment [ 8 ]. However, the negative effects of increased carbon in the atmosphere have grown in the last 10 years. Production and use of fossil fuels emit methane (CH 4 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO), which are the most significant contributors to environmental emissions on our planet. Additionally, coal and oil, including gasoline, coal, oil and methane, are commonly used in energy for transport or for generating electricity. Therefore, burning these fossil fuel s is deemed the largest emitter when used for electricity generation, transport, etc. However, these energy resources are considered depleted energy sources being consumed to an unsustainable degree [ 9–11 ].

Energy is an essential need for the existence and growth of human communities. Consequently, the need for energy has increased gradually as human civilization has progressed. Additionally, in the past few decades, the rapid rise of the world’s population and its reliance on technological developments have increased energy demands. Furthermore, green technology sources play an important role in sustainably providing energy supplies, especially in mitigating climate change [ 5 , 6 , 8 ].

Currently, fossil fuels remain dominant and will continue to be the primary source of large-scale energy for the foreseeable future; however, renewable energy should play a vital role in the future of global energy. The global energy system is undergoing a movement towards more sustainable sources of energy [ 12 , 13 ].

Power generation by fossil-fuel resources has peaked, whilst solar energy is predicted to be at the vanguard of energy generation in the near future. Moreover, it is predicted that by 2050, the generation of solar energy will have increased to 48% due to economic and industrial growth [ 13 , 14 ].

In recent years, it has become increasingly obvious that the globe must decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, ideally towards net zero, if we are to fulfil the Paris Agreement’s goal to reduce global temperature increases [ 3 , 4 ]. The net-zero emissions complement the scenario of sustainable development assessment by 2050. According to the agreed scenario of sustainable development, many industrialized economies must achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. However, the net-zero emissions 2050 brought the first detailed International Energy Agency (IEA) modelling of what strategy will be required over the next 10 years to achieve net-zero carbon emissions worldwide by 2050 [ 15–17 ].

The global statistics of greenhouse gas emissions have been identified; in 2019, there was a 1% decrease in CO 2 emissions from the power industry; that figure dropped by 7% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis, thus indicating a drop in coal-fired energy generation that is being squeezed by decreasing energy needs, growth of renewables and the shift away from fossil fuels. As a result, in 2020, the energy industry was expected to generate ~13 Gt CO 2 , representing ~40% of total world energy sector emissions related to CO 2 . The annual electricity generation stepped back to pre-crisis levels by 2021, although due to a changing ‘fuel mix’, the CO 2 emissions in the power sector will grow just a little before remaining roughly steady until 2030 [ 15 ].

Therefore, based on the information mentioned above, the advantages of solar energy technology are a renewable and clean energy source that is plentiful, cheaper costs, less maintenance and environmentally friendly, to name but a few. The significance of this paper is to highlight solar energy applications to ensure sustainable development; thus, it is vital to researchers, engineers and customers alike. The article’s primary aim is to raise public awareness and disseminate the culture of solar energy usage in daily life, since moving forward, it is the best. The scope of this paper is as follows. Section 1 represents a summary of the introduction. Section 2 represents a summary of installed capacity and the application of solar energy worldwide. Section 3 presents the role of solar energy in the sustainable development and employment of renewable energy. Section 4 represents the perspective of solar energy. Finally, Section 5 outlines the conclusions and recommendations for future work.

1.1 Installed capacity of solar energy

The history of solar energy can be traced back to the seventh century when mirrors with solar power were used. In 1893, the photovoltaic (PV) effect was discovered; after many decades, scientists developed this technology for electricity generation [ 18 ]. Based on that, after many years of research and development from scientists worldwide, solar energy technology is classified into two key applications: solar thermal and solar PV.

PV systems convert the Sun’s energy into electricity by utilizing solar panels. These PV devices have quickly become the cheapest option for new electricity generation in numerous world locations due to their ubiquitous deployment. For example, during the period from 2010 to 2018, the cost of generating electricity by solar PV plants decreased by 77%. However, solar PV installed capacity progress expanded 100-fold between 2005 and 2018. Consequently, solar PV has emerged as a key component in the low-carbon sustainable energy system required to provide access to affordable and dependable electricity, assisting in fulfilling the Paris climate agreement and in achieving the 2030 SDG targets [ 19 ].

The installed capacity of solar energy worldwide has been rapidly increased to meet energy demands. The installed capacity of PV technology from 2010 to 2020 increased from 40 334 to 709 674 MW, whereas the installed capacity of concentrated solar power (CSP) applications, which was 1266 MW in 2010, after 10 years had increased to 6479 MW. Therefore, solar PV technology has more deployed installations than CSP applications. So, the stand-alone solar PV and large-scale grid-connected PV plants are widely used worldwide and used in space applications. Fig. 1 represents the installation of solar energy worldwide.

Installation capacity of solar energy worldwide [20].

Installation capacity of solar energy worldwide [ 20 ].

1.2 Application of solar energy

Energy can be obtained directly from the Sun—so-called solar energy. Globally, there has been growth in solar energy applications, as it can be used to generate electricity, desalinate water and generate heat, etc. The taxonomy of applications of solar energy is as follows: (i) PVs and (ii) CSP. Fig. 2 details the taxonomy of solar energy applications.

The taxonomy of solar energy applications.

The taxonomy of solar energy applications.

Solar cells are devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity; typical semiconductor materials are utilized to form a PV solar cell device. These materials’ characteristics are based on atoms with four electrons in their outer orbit or shell. Semiconductor materials are from the periodic table’s group ‘IV’ or a mixture of groups ‘IV’ and ‘II’, the latter known as ‘II–VI’ semiconductors [ 21 ]. Additionally, a periodic table mixture of elements from groups ‘III’ and ‘V’ can create ‘III–V’ materials [ 22 ].

PV devices, sometimes called solar cells, are electronic devices that convert sunlight into electrical power. PVs are also one of the rapidly growing renewable-energy technologies of today. It is therefore anticipated to play a significant role in the long-term world electricity-generating mixture moving forward.

Solar PV systems can be incorporated to supply electricity on a commercial level or installed in smaller clusters for mini-grids or individual usage. Utilizing PV modules to power mini-grids is a great way to offer electricity to those who do not live close to power-transmission lines, especially in developing countries with abundant solar energy resources. In the most recent decade, the cost of producing PV modules has dropped drastically, giving them not only accessibility but sometimes making them the least expensive energy form. PV arrays have a 30-year lifetime and come in various shades based on the type of material utilized in their production.

The most typical method for solar PV desalination technology that is used for desalinating sea or salty water is electrodialysis (ED). Therefore, solar PV modules are directly connected to the desalination process. This technique employs the direct-current electricity to remove salt from the sea or salty water.

The technology of PV–thermal (PV–T) comprises conventional solar PV modules coupled with a thermal collector mounted on the rear side of the PV module to pre-heat domestic hot water. Accordingly, this enables a larger portion of the incident solar energy on the collector to be converted into beneficial electrical and thermal energy.

A zero-energy building is a building that is designed for zero net energy emissions and emits no carbon dioxide. Building-integrated PV (BIPV) technology is coupled with solar energy sources and devices in buildings that are utilized to supply energy needs. Thus, building-integrated PVs utilizing thermal energy (BIPV/T) incorporate creative technologies such as solar cooling [ 23 ].

A PV water-pumping system is typically used to pump water in rural, isolated and desert areas. The system consists of PV modules to power a water pump to the location of water need. The water-pumping rate depends on many factors such as pumping head, solar intensity, etc.

A PV-powered cathodic protection (CP) system is designed to supply a CP system to control the corrosion of a metal surface. This technique is based on the impressive current acquired from PV solar energy systems and is utilized for burying pipelines, tanks, concrete structures, etc.

Concentrated PV (CPV) technology uses either the refractive or the reflective concentrators to increase sunlight to PV cells [ 24 , 25 ]. High-efficiency solar cells are usually used, consisting of many layers of semiconductor materials that stack on top of each other. This technology has an efficiency of >47%. In addition, the devices produce electricity and the heat can be used for other purposes [ 26 , 27 ].

For CSP systems, the solar rays are concentrated using mirrors in this application. These rays will heat a fluid, resulting in steam used to power a turbine and generate electricity. Large-scale power stations employ CSP to generate electricity. A field of mirrors typically redirect rays to a tall thin tower in a CSP power station. Thus, numerous large flat heliostats (mirrors) are used to track the Sun and concentrate its light onto a receiver in power tower systems, sometimes known as central receivers. The hot fluid could be utilized right away to produce steam or stored for later usage. Another of the great benefits of a CSP power station is that it may be built with molten salts to store heat and generate electricity outside of daylight hours.

Mirrored dishes are used in dish engine systems to focus and concentrate sunlight onto a receiver. The dish assembly tracks the Sun’s movement to capture as much solar energy as possible. The engine includes thin tubes that work outside the four-piston cylinders and it opens into the cylinders containing hydrogen or helium gas. The pistons are driven by the expanding gas. Finally, the pistons drive an electric generator by turning a crankshaft.

A further water-treatment technique, using reverse osmosis, depends on the solar-thermal and using solar concentrated power through the parabolic trough technique. The desalination employs CSP technology that utilizes hybrid integration and thermal storage allows continuous operation and is a cost-effective solution. Solar thermal can be used for domestic purposes such as a dryer. In some countries or societies, the so-called food dehydration is traditionally used to preserve some food materials such as meats, fruits and vegetables.

Sustainable energy development is defined as the development of the energy sector in terms of energy generating, distributing and utilizing that are based on sustainability rules [ 28 ]. Energy systems will significantly impact the environment in both developed and developing countries. Consequently, the global sustainable energy system must optimize efficiency and reduce emissions [ 29 ].

The sustainable development scenario is built based on the economic perspective. It also examines what activities will be required to meet shared long-term climate benefits, clean air and energy access targets. The short-term details are based on the IEA’s sustainable recovery strategy, which aims to promote economies and employment through developing a cleaner and more reliable energy infrastructure [ 15 ]. In addition, sustainable development includes utilizing renewable-energy applications, smart-grid technologies, energy security, and energy pricing, and having a sound energy policy [ 29 ].

The demand-side response can help meet the flexibility requirements in electricity systems by moving demand over time. As a result, the integration of renewable technologies for helping facilitate the peak demand is reduced, system stability is maintained, and total costs and CO 2 emissions are reduced. The demand-side response is currently used mostly in Europe and North America, where it is primarily aimed at huge commercial and industrial electricity customers [ 15 ].

International standards are an essential component of high-quality infrastructure. Establishing legislative convergence, increasing competition and supporting innovation will allow participants to take part in a global world PV market [ 30 ]. Numerous additional countries might benefit from more actively engaging in developing global solar PV standards. The leading countries in solar PV manufacturing and deployment have embraced global standards for PV systems and highly contributed to clean-energy development. Additional assistance and capacity-building to enhance quality infrastructure in developing economies might also help support wider implementation and compliance with international solar PV standards. Thus, support can bring legal requirements and frameworks into consistency and give additional impetus for the trade of secure and high-quality solar PV products [ 19 ].

Continuous trade-led dissemination of solar PV and other renewable technologies will strengthen the national infrastructure. For instance, off-grid solar energy alternatives, such as stand-alone systems and mini-grids, could be easily deployed to assist healthcare facilities in improving their degree of services and powering portable testing sites and vaccination coolers. In addition to helping in the immediate medical crisis, trade-led solar PV adoption could aid in the improving economy from the COVID-19 outbreak, not least by providing jobs in the renewable-energy sector, which are estimated to reach >40 million by 2050 [ 19 ].

The framework for energy sustainability development, by the application of solar energy, is one way to achieve that goal. With the large availability of solar energy resources for PV and CSP energy applications, we can move towards energy sustainability. Fig. 3 illustrates plans for solar energy sustainability.

Framework for solar energy applications in energy sustainability.

Framework for solar energy applications in energy sustainability.

The environmental consideration of such applications, including an aspect of the environmental conditions, operating conditions, etc., have been assessed. It is clean, friendly to the environment and also energy-saving. Moreover, this technology has no removable parts, low maintenance procedures and longevity.

Economic and social development are considered by offering job opportunities to the community and providing cheaper energy options. It can also improve people’s income; in turn, living standards will be enhanced. Therefore, energy is paramount, considered to be the most vital element of human life, society’s progress and economic development.

As efforts are made to increase the energy transition towards sustainable energy systems, it is anticipated that the next decade will see a continued booming of solar energy and all clean-energy technology. Scholars worldwide consider research and innovation to be substantial drivers to enhance the potency of such solar application technology.

2.1 Employment from renewable energy

The employment market has also boomed with the deployment of renewable-energy technology. Renewable-energy technology applications have created >12 million jobs worldwide. The solar PV application came as the pioneer, which created >3 million jobs. At the same time, while the solar thermal applications (solar heating and cooling) created >819 000 jobs, the CSP attained >31 000 jobs [ 20 ].

According to the reports, although top markets such as the USA, the EU and China had the highest investment in renewables jobs, other Asian countries have emerged as players in the solar PV panel manufacturers’ industry [ 31 ].

Solar energy employment has offered more employment than other renewable sources. For example, in the developing countries, there was a growth in employment chances in solar applications that powered ‘micro-enterprises’. Hence, it has been significant in eliminating poverty, which is considered the key goal of sustainable energy development. Therefore, solar energy plays a critical part in fulfilling the sustainability targets for a better plant and environment [ 31 , 32 ]. Fig. 4 illustrates distributions of world renewable-energy employment.

World renewable-energy employment [20].

World renewable-energy employment [ 20 ].

The world distribution of PV jobs is disseminated across the continents as follows. There was 70% employment in PV applications available in Asia, while 10% is available in North America, 10% available in South America and 10% availability in Europe. Table 1 details the top 10 countries that have relevant jobs in Asia, North America, South America and Europe.

List of the top 10 countries that created jobs in solar PV applications [ 19 , 33 ]

Solar energy investments can meet energy targets and environmental protection by reducing carbon emissions while having no detrimental influence on the country’s development [ 32 , 34 ]. In countries located in the ‘Sunbelt’, there is huge potential for solar energy, where there is a year-round abundance of solar global horizontal irradiation. Consequently, these countries, including the Middle East, Australia, North Africa, China, the USA and Southern Africa, to name a few, have a lot of potential for solar energy technology. The average yearly solar intensity is >2800 kWh/m 2 and the average daily solar intensity is >7.5 kWh/m 2 . Fig. 5 illustrates the optimum areas for global solar irradiation.

World global solar irradiation map [35].

World global solar irradiation map [ 35 ].

The distribution of solar radiation and its intensity are two important factors that influence the efficiency of solar PV technology and these two parameters vary among different countries. Therefore, it is essential to realize that some solar energy is wasted since it is not utilized. On the other hand, solar radiation is abundant in several countries, especially in developing ones, which makes it invaluable [ 36 , 37 ].

Worldwide, the PV industry has benefited recently from globalization, which has allowed huge improvements in economies of scale, while vertical integration has created strong value chains: as manufacturers source materials from an increasing number of suppliers, prices have dropped while quality has been maintained. Furthermore, the worldwide incorporated PV solar device market is growing fast, creating opportunities enabling solar energy firms to benefit from significant government help with underwriting, subsides, beneficial trading licences and training of a competent workforce, while the increased rivalry has reinforced the motivation to continue investing in research and development, both public and private [ 19 , 33 ].

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has impacted ‘cross-border supply chains’ and those investors working in the renewable-energy sector. As a result, more diversity of solar PV supply-chain processes may be required in the future to enhance long-term flexibility versus exogenous shocks [ 19 , 33 ].

It is vital to establish a well-functioning quality infrastructure to expand the distribution of solar PV technologies beyond borders and make it easier for new enterprises to enter solar PV value chains. In addition, a strong quality infrastructure system is a significant instrument for assisting local firms in meeting the demands of trade markets. Furthermore, high-quality infrastructure can help reduce associated risks with the worldwide PV project value chain, such as underperforming, inefficient and failing goods, limiting the development, improvement and export of these technologies. Governments worldwide are, at various levels, creating quality infrastructure, including the usage of metrology i.e. the science of measurement and its application, regulations, testing procedures, accreditation, certification and market monitoring [ 33 , 38 ].

The perspective is based on a continuous process of technological advancement and learning. Its speed is determined by its deployment, which varies depending on the scenario [ 39 , 40 ]. The expense trends support policy preferences for low-carbon energy sources, particularly in increased energy-alteration scenarios. Emerging technologies are introduced and implemented as quickly as they ever have been before in energy history [ 15 , 33 ].

The CSP stations have been in use since the early 1980s and are currently found all over the world. The CSP power stations in the USA currently produce >800 MW of electricity yearly, which is sufficient to power ~500 000 houses. New CSP heat-transfer fluids being developed can function at ~1288 o C, which is greater than existing fluids, to improve the efficiency of CSP systems and, as a result, to lower the cost of energy generated using this technology. Thus, as a result, CSP is considered to have a bright future, with the ability to offer large-scale renewable energy that can supplement and soon replace traditional electricity-production technologies [ 41 ]. The DESERTEC project has drawn out the possibility of CSP in the Sahara Desert regions. When completed, this investment project will have the world’s biggest energy-generation capacity through the CSP plant, which aims to transport energy from North Africa to Europe [ 42 , 43 ].

The costs of manufacturing materials for PV devices have recently decreased, which is predicted to compensate for the requirements and increase the globe’s electricity demand [ 44 ]. Solar energy is a renewable, clean and environmentally friendly source of energy. Therefore, solar PV application techniques should be widely utilized. Although PV technology has always been under development for a variety of purposes, the fact that PV solar cells convert the radiant energy from the Sun directly into electrical power means it can be applied in space and in terrestrial applications [ 38 , 45 ].

In one way or another, the whole renewable-energy sector has a benefit over other energy industries. A long-term energy development plan needs an energy source that is inexhaustible, virtually accessible and simple to gather. The Sun rises over the horizon every day around the globe and leaves behind ~108–1018 kWh of energy; consequently, it is more than humanity will ever require to fulfil its desire for electricity [ 46 ].

The technology that converts solar radiation into electricity is well known and utilizes PV cells, which are already in use worldwide. In addition, various solar PV technologies are available today, including hybrid solar cells, inorganic solar cells and organic solar cells. So far, solar PV devices made from silicon have led the solar market; however, these PVs have certain drawbacks, such as expenditure of material, time-consuming production, etc. It is important to mention here the operational challenges of solar energy in that it does not work at night, has less output in cloudy weather and does not work in sandstorm conditions. PV battery storage is widely used to reduce the challenges to gain high reliability. Therefore, attempts have been made to find alternative materials to address these constraints. Currently, this domination is challenged by the evolution of the emerging generation of solar PV devices based on perovskite, organic and organic/inorganic hybrid materials.

This paper highlights the significance of sustainable energy development. Solar energy would help steady energy prices and give numerous social, environmental and economic benefits. This has been indicated by solar energy’s contribution to achieving sustainable development through meeting energy demands, creating jobs and protecting the environment. Hence, a paramount critical component of long-term sustainability should be investigated. Based on the current condition of fossil-fuel resources, which are deemed to be depleting energy sources, finding an innovative technique to deploy clean-energy technology is both essential and expected. Notwithstanding, solar energy has yet to reach maturity in development, especially CSP technology. Also, with growing developments in PV systems, there has been a huge rise in demand for PV technology applications all over the globe. Further work needs to be undertaken to develop energy sustainably and consider other clean energy resources. Moreover, a comprehensive experimental and validation process for such applications is required to develop cleaner energy sources to decarbonize our planet.

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Researchers find benefits of solar photovoltaics outweigh costs

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Utility-scale photovoltaic arrays are an economic investment across most of the United States when health and climate benefits are taken into account, concludes an analysis by MITEI postdoc Patrick Brown and Senior Lecturer Francis O’Sullivan. Their results show the importance of providing accurate price signals to generators and consumers and of adopting policies that reward installation of sol...

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Over the past decade, the cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays has fallen rapidly. But at the same time, the value of PV power has declined in areas that have installed significant PV generating capacity. Operators of utility-scale PV systems have seen electricity prices drop as more PV generators come online. Over the same time period, many coal-fired power plants were required to install emissions-control systems, resulting in declines in air pollution nationally and regionally. The result has been improved public health — but also a decrease in the potential health benefits from offsetting coal generation with PV generation.

Given those competing trends, do the benefits of PV generation outweigh the costs? Answering that question requires balancing the up-front capital costs against the lifetime benefits of a PV system. Determining the former is fairly straightforward. But assessing the latter is challenging because the benefits differ across time and place. “The differences aren’t just due to variation in the amount of sunlight a given location receives throughout the year,” says  Patrick R. Brown PhD ’16, a postdoc at the MIT Energy Initiative. “They’re also due to variability in electricity prices and pollutant emissions.”

The drop in the price paid for utility-scale PV power stems in part from how electricity is bought and sold on wholesale electricity markets. On the “day-ahead” market, generators and customers submit bids specifying how much they’ll sell or buy at various price levels at a given hour on the following day. The lowest-cost generators are chosen first. Since the variable operating cost of PV systems is near zero, they’re almost always chosen, taking the place of the most expensive generator then in the lineup. The price paid to every selected generator is set by the highest-cost operator on the system, so as more PV power comes on, more high-cost generators come off, and the price drops for everyone. As a result, in the middle of the day, when solar is generating the most, prices paid to electricity generators are at their lowest.

Brown notes that some generators may even bid negative prices. “They’re effectively paying consumers to take their power to ensure that they are dispatched,” he explains. For example, inflexible coal and nuclear plants may bid negative prices to avoid frequent shutdown and startup events that would result in extra fuel and maintenance costs. Renewable generators may also bid negative prices to obtain larger subsidies that are rewarded based on production. 

Health benefits also differ over time and place. The health effects of deploying PV power are greater in a heavily populated area that relies on coal power than in a less-populated region that has access to plenty of clean hydropower or wind. And the local health benefits of PV power can be higher when there’s congestion on transmission lines that leaves a region stuck with whatever high-polluting sources are available nearby. The social costs of air pollution are largely “externalized,” that is, they are mostly unaccounted for in electricity markets. But they can be quantified using statistical methods, so health benefits resulting from reduced emissions can be incorporated when assessing the cost-competitiveness of PV generation.

The contribution of fossil-fueled generators to climate change is another externality not accounted for by most electricity markets. Some U.S. markets, particularly in California and the Northeast, have implemented cap-and-trade programs, but the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) prices in those markets are much lower than estimates of the social cost of CO 2 , and other markets don’t price carbon at all. A full accounting of the benefits of PV power thus requires determining the CO 2  emissions displaced by PV generation and then multiplying that value by a uniform carbon price representing the damage that those emissions would have caused.

Calculating PV costs and benefits

To examine the changing value of solar power, Brown and his colleague Francis M. O’Sullivan, the senior vice president of strategy at Ørsted Onshore North America and a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, developed a methodology to assess the costs and benefits of PV power across the U.S. power grid annually from 2010 to 2017. 

The researchers focused on six “independent system operators” (ISOs) in California, Texas, the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic, New York, and New England. Each ISO sets electricity prices at hundreds of “pricing nodes” along the transmission network in their region. The researchers performed analyses at more than 10,000 of those pricing nodes.

For each node, they simulated the operation of a utility-scale PV array that tilts to follow the sun throughout the day. They calculated how much electricity it would generate and the benefits that each kilowatt would provide, factoring in energy and “capacity” revenues as well as avoided health and climate change costs associated with the displacement of fossil fuel emissions. (Capacity revenues are paid to generators for being available to deliver electricity at times of peak demand.) They focused on emissions of CO 2 , which contributes to climate change, and of nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and particulate matter called PM 2.5 — fine particles that can cause serious health problems and can be emitted or formed in the atmosphere from NO x  and SO 2 .

The results of the analysis showed that the wholesale energy value of PV generation varied significantly from place to place, even within the region of a given ISO. For example, in New York City and Long Island, where population density is high and adding transmission lines is difficult, the market value of solar was at times 50 percent higher than across the state as a whole. 

The public health benefits associated with SO 2 , NO x , and PM 2.5  emissions reductions declined over the study period but were still substantial in 2017. Monetizing the health benefits of PV generation in 2017 would add almost 75 percent to energy revenues in the Midwest and New York and fully 100 percent in the Mid-Atlantic, thanks to the large amount of coal generation in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic and the high population density on the Eastern Seaboard. 

Based on the calculated energy and capacity revenues and health and climate benefits for 2017, the researchers asked: Given that combination of private and public benefits, what upfront PV system cost would be needed to make the PV installation “break even” over its lifetime, assuming that grid conditions in that year persist for the life of the installation? In other words, says Brown, “At what capital cost would an investment in a PV system be paid back in benefits over the lifetime of the array?” 

Assuming 2017 values for energy and capacity market revenues alone, an unsubsidized PV investment at 2017 costs doesn’t break even. Add in the health benefit, and PV breaks even at 30 percent of the pricing nodes modeled. Assuming a carbon price of $50 per ton, the investment breaks even at about 70 percent of the nodes, and with a carbon price of $100 per ton (which is still less than the price estimated to be needed to limit global temperature rise to under 2 degrees Celsius), PV breaks even at all of the modeled nodes. 

That wasn’t the case just two years earlier: At 2015 PV costs, PV would only have broken even in 2017 at about 65 percent of the nodes counting market revenues, health benefits, and a $100 per ton carbon price. “Since 2010, solar has gone from one of the most expensive sources of electricity to one of the cheapest, and it now breaks even across the majority of the U.S. when considering the full slate of values that it provides,” says Brown. 

Based on their findings, the researchers conclude that the decline in PV costs over the studied period outpaced the decline in value, such that in 2017 the market, health, and climate benefits outweighed the cost of PV systems at the majority of locations modeled. “So the amount of solar that’s competitive is still increasing year by year,” says Brown. 

The findings underscore the importance of considering health and climate benefits as well as market revenues. “If you’re going to add another megawatt of PV power, it’s best to put it where it’ll make the most difference, not only in terms of revenues but also health and CO 2 ,” says Brown. 

Unfortunately, today’s policies don’t reward that behavior. Some states do provide renewable energy subsidies for solar investments, but they reward generation equally everywhere. Yet in states such as New York, the public health benefits would have been far higher at some nodes than at others. State-level or regional reward mechanisms could be tailored to reflect such variation in node-to-node benefits of PV generation, providing incentives for installing PV systems where they’ll be most valuable. Providing time-varying price signals (including the cost of emissions) not only to utility-scale generators, but also to residential and commercial electricity generators and customers, would similarly guide PV investment to areas where it provides the most benefit. 

Time-shifting PV output to maximize revenues 

The analysis provides some guidance that might help would-be PV installers maximize their revenues. For example, it identifies certain “hot spots” where PV generation is especially valuable. At some high-electricity-demand nodes along the East Coast, for instance, persistent grid congestion has meant that the projected revenue of a PV generator has been high for more than a decade. The analysis also shows that the sunniest site may not always be the most profitable choice. A PV system in Texas would generate about 20 percent more power than one in the Northeast, yet energy revenues were greater at nodes in the Northeast than in Texas in some of the years analyzed. 

To help potential PV owners maximize their future revenues, Brown and O’Sullivan performed a follow-on study focusing on ways to shift the output of PV arrays to align with times of higher prices on the wholesale market. For this analysis, they considered the value of solar on the day-ahead market and also on the “real-time market,” which dispatches generators to correct for discrepancies between supply and demand. They explored three options for shaping the output of PV generators, with a focus on the California real-time market in 2017, when high PV penetration led to a large reduction in midday prices compared to morning and evening prices.

  • Curtailing output when prices are negative: During negative-price hours, a PV operator can simply turn off generation. In California in 2017, curtailment would have increased revenues by 9 percent on the real-time market compared to “must-run” operation.
  • Changing the orientation of “fixed-tilt” (stationary) solar panels: The general rule of thumb in the Northern Hemisphere is to orient solar panels toward the south, maximizing production over the year. But peak production then occurs at about noon, when electricity prices in markets with high solar penetration are at their lowest. Pointing panels toward the west moves generation further into the afternoon. On the California real-time market in 2017, optimizing the orientation would have increased revenues by 13 percent, or 20 percent in conjunction with curtailment.
  • Using 1-axis tracking: For larger utility-scale installations, solar panels are frequently installed on automatic solar trackers, rotating throughout the day from east in the morning to west in the evening. Using such 1-axis tracking on the California system in 2017 would have increased revenues by 32 percent over a fixed-tilt installation, and using tracking plus curtailment would have increased revenues by 42 percent.

The researchers were surprised to see how much the optimal orientation changed in California over the period of their study. “In 2010, the best orientation for a fixed array was about 10 degrees west of south,” says Brown. “In 2017, it’s about 55 degrees west of south.” That adjustment is due to changes in market prices that accompany significant growth in PV generation — changes that will occur in other regions as they start to ramp up their solar generation.

The researchers stress that conditions are constantly changing on power grids and electricity markets. With that in mind, they made their database and computer code openly available so that others can readily use them to calculate updated estimates of the net benefits of PV power and other distributed energy resources.

They also emphasize the importance of getting time-varying prices to all market participants and of adapting installation and dispatch strategies to changing power system conditions. A law set to take effect in California in 2020 will require all new homes to have solar panels. Installing the usual south-facing panels with uncurtailable output could further saturate the electricity market at times when other PV installations are already generating.

“If new rooftop arrays instead use west-facing panels that can be switched off during negative price times, it’s better for the whole system,” says Brown. “Rather than just adding more solar at times when the price is already low and the electricity mix is already clean, the new PV installations would displace expensive and dirty gas generators in the evening. Enabling that outcome is a win all around.”

Patrick Brown and this research were supported by a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Postdoctoral Research Award through the EERE Solar Energy Technologies Office. The computer code and data repositories are available here and here .

This article appears in the  Spring 2020  issue of  Energy Futures, the magazine of the MIT Energy Initiative. 

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  • Paper: “Spatial and temporal variation in the value of solar power across United States electricity markets.”
  • Report: “The Future of Solar Energy”
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Advanced solar panels still need to pass the test of time

Here's how scientists are peeking into the future of new materials.

  • Casey Crownhart archive page

A sundial is shown on a set of solar panels.

This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review ’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here .

It must be tough to be a solar panel. They’re consistently exposed to sun, heat, and humidity—and the panels installed today are expected to last 30 years or more.

But how can we tell that new solar technologies will stand the test of time? I’m fascinated by the challenge of predicting how new materials will hold up in decades of tough conditions. That’s been especially tricky for one emerging technology in particular: perovskites. They’re a class of materials that developers are increasingly interested in incorporating into solar panels because of their high efficiency and low cost. 

The problem is, perovskites are notorious for degrading when exposed to high temperatures, moisture, and bright light … all the things they’ll need to withstand to make it in the real world. And it’s not as if we can sit around for decades, testing out different cells in the field for the expected lifetime of a solar panel—climate change is an urgent problem. The good news: researchers have made progress in both stretching out the lifetime of perovskite materials and working out how to predict which materials will be winners in the long run. 

There’s almost constant news about perovskite solar materials breaking records. The latest such news comes from Oxford PV—in January, the company announced that one of its panels reached a 25% conversion efficiency , meaning a quarter of the solar energy beaming onto the panel was converted to electricity. Most high-end commercial panels have around a 20% efficiency, with some models topping 23%. 

The improvement is somewhat incremental, but it’s significant, and it’s all because of teamwork. Oxford PV and other companies are working to bring tandem solar technology to the market. These panels are basically sandwiches that combine layers of silicon (the material that dominates today’s solar market) and perovskites. Since the two materials soak up different wavelengths of light, they can be stacked together, adding up to a more efficient solar material. 

We’re seeing advances in tandem technology, which is why we named super-efficient tandem solar cells one of our 2024 Breakthrough Technologies. But perovskites’ nasty tendency to degrade is a major barrier standing in the way. 

Early perovskite solar cells went bad so quickly that researchers had to race across the laboratory to measure their efficiency. In the time it took to get from the area where solar cells were made to the side of the room where the testing equipment was, the materials basically lost their ability to soak up sunlight. 

The lifetime of perovskite materials isn’t nearly this fleeting now, but it’s not clear that the problem has been entirely solved. 

There’s been some real-world testing of new perovskite solar materials, with mixed results. Oxford PV hasn’t published detailed data, though as CTO Chris Case told Nature last year, the company’s outdoor tests show that the best cells lose only about 1% of their efficiency in their first year of operation, a rate that slows down afterwards. 

Other testing in more intense conditions has found less positive results, with one academic study finding that perovskite cells in hot and humid Saudi Arabia lost 20% of their efficiency after one year of operation. 

Those results are for one year of testing. How can we tell what will happen in 30 years? 

Since we don’t have years to test every new material that scientists dream up, researchers often put them through especially punishing conditions in the lab, bumping up the temperature and shining bright lights onto panels to see how quickly they’ll degrade. 

This sort of testing is standard for silicon solar panels, which make up over 90% of the commercial solar market today. But researchers are still working out just how well the correlations with known tests will transfer to new materials like perovskites. 

One of the issues has been that light, moisture, and heat all contribute to the quick degradation of perovskites. But it hasn’t been clear exactly which factor, or combination of them, would be best to apply in the lab to measure how a solar panel would fare in the real world. 

One study, published last year in Nature , suggested that a combination of high temperature and illumination would be the key to accelerated tests that reliably predict real-world performance. The researchers found that high-temperature tests lasting just a few hundred hours (a couple of weeks) translated well to nearly six months of performance in outdoor testing. 

Companies say they’re bringing new solar materials to the market as soon as this year.  Soon we’ll start to really see just how well these tests predict new technologies’ ability to withstand the tough job a commercial solar panel needs to do. I know I’ll be watching. 

Related reading

Read more about why super-efficient tandem solar cells made our list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies in 2024 here .

Here’s a look inside the race to get these next-generation solar technologies into the world.

Perovskites have been hailed as the hot new thing in solar for years. What’s been the holdup? In short: stability, stability, stability. 

Photo illustration concept of virtual power plant, showing two power plant stacks with a glitch effect.

Welcome to the wonderful world of virtual power plants (VPPs). While they’re not physical facilities, VPPs could have actual benefits for emissions by stitching together different parts of the grid to help meet electricity demand. 

What exactly is a VPP? How does it work? What does this all mean for climate action? Get the answers to all these questions and more in my colleague June Kim’s latest story.

Two more things 

Scattering small particles in the upper levels of the atmosphere could help reflect sunlight, slowing down planetary warming. While this idea, called solar geoengineering, sounds farfetched, it’s possible that small efforts could get started within a decade, as David Keith and Wake Smith write in a new op-ed. 

Read more about how geoengineering could start, and what these experts are saying we need to do about it , here . 

The US is pausing exports of liquefied natural gas . The move was met with a wide range of reactions and plenty of questions about what it will mean for emissions.  

As Arvind Ravikumar writes in a new op-ed, people are asking all the wrong questions about LNG. Whether this is a good idea depends on what the fuel would be replacing. Read his full take here.  

Keeping up with climate  

In an age of stronger hurricanes, some scientists say our current rating system can’t keep up. Adding a Category 6 could help us designate super-powerful storms. ( Inside Climate News )

→ Here’s what we know about hurricanes and climate change. ( MIT Technology Review ) 

A fringe idea to put massive sunshades in space to cool down the planet is gaining momentum. Or we could, you know, stop burning fossil fuels? ( New York Times )

Trains powered by hydrogen are starting to hit the rails. Here’s why experts say that might not be the best use for the fuel. ( Canary Media )

According to the sponges, we’ve already sailed past climate goals. Scientists examining the skeletons of creatures called sclerosponges concluded that human-caused climate change has probably raised temperatures by 1.7 °C (3.1 °F) since the late 19th century. ( New York Times )

A century-old law you’ve never heard of is slowing down offshore wind in the US. By requiring the use of US-built ships within the country’s waters, the Jones Act is behind some of the speed bumps facing the offshore wind industry. ( Hakai Magazine )

→ Here’s what’s next for offshore wind, including when we can expect the first US-built ship to hit the waters. ( MIT Technology Review )

Climate change and energy

The race to get next-generation solar technology on the market.

Companies say perovskite tandem solar cells are only a few years from bringing record efficiencies to a solar project near you.

  • Emma Foehringer Merchant archive page

Super-efficient solar cells: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024

Solar cells that combine traditional silicon with cutting-edge perovskites could push the efficiency of solar panels to new heights.

How one mine could unlock billions in EV subsidies

The Inflation Reduction Act is starting to transform the US economy. To understand how, we tallied up the potential tax credits available as the nickel from a single mine flows through the supply chain.

  • James Temple archive page

Heat pumps: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024

Heat pumps are a well-established technology. Now they’re starting to make real progress on decarbonizing homes, buildings, and even manufacturing.

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Solar energy articles from across Nature Portfolio

future of solar energy research paper

Carrier concentration resolved

Inhomogeneities in the optoelectronic properties of polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 absorbers can limit solar cell performance. Now, researchers quantify the spatial distribution of charge carrier concentration with nanometre resolution and show how different alkali-metal post-deposition treatments reduce the grain-to-grain fluctuations.

  • Alex Redinger

future of solar energy research paper

Light alters reaction pathways

Carbon monoxide can be reacted with water to synthesize hydrocarbons, but low activity and poor selectivity has plagued the conventional thermal catalytic route. Now, leveraging photocatalytic and thermocatalytic effects, a TiO 2– x /Ni catalyst is shown to produce C 2+ hydrocarbons directly from carbon monoxide and water with high yield and selectivity.

  • Zhiliang Wang
  • Lianzhou Wang

Related Subjects

  • Artificial photosynthesis
  • Photovoltaics
  • Solar fuels
  • Solar thermal energy
  • Thermophotovoltaics

Latest Research and Reviews

future of solar energy research paper

Stable water splitting using photoelectrodes with a cryogelated overlayer

Photoelectrodes made of earth-abundant materials can contribute to low-cost and carbon-free hydrogen production, but suffer from a short lifetime. Here the authors report cryogel overlayer to increase the operation time of the device by regulating evolving hydrogen bubble dynamics.

  • Byungjun Kang
  • Hyungsuk Lee

future of solar energy research paper

High-concentration silver alloying and steep back-contact gallium grading enabling copper indium gallium selenide solar cell with 23.6% efficiency

Keller et al. use high-concentration silver alloying and steep gallium grading close to the back contact to minimize bandgap fluctuations and thus voltage losses, achieving 23.6% certified efficiency in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells.

  • Klara Kiselman
  • Marika Edoff

future of solar energy research paper

Selective and energy-efficient electrosynthesis of ethylene from CO 2 by tuning the valence of Cu catalysts through aryl diazonium functionalization

Achieving high selectivity towards the formation of a single type of multi-carbon product from CO 2 electroreduction is difficult. Here Wu and colleagues show that the valence state of Cu can be tuned by functionalization of the catalyst surface with organic salts, boosting selectivity towards ethylene.

  • Lingqi Huang
  • Damien Voiry

future of solar energy research paper

The role of interfacial donor–acceptor percolation in efficient and stable all-polymer solar cells

The underlying charge generation dynamics and structure-property relationships in organic solar cells are not fully understood. Here, the authors demonstrate that interfacial donor-acceptor percolation plays a key role in enabling both high charge generation efficiency and device stability.

  • Philip C. Y. Chow

future of solar energy research paper

Capacitor based topology of cross-square-switched T-type multi-level inverter

  • Seyed Hossein Hosseini
  • Majid Hosseinpour

future of solar energy research paper

Perovskite–organic tandem solar cells

Multijunction solar cells can overcome the fundamental efficiency limits of single-junction devices. This Perspective article highlights tandem solar cells based on a wide-gap perovskite and a narrow-gap organic subcell, which could achieve efficiencies beyond 30% and can be produced without large carbon emissions.

  • Kai O. Brinkmann
  • Thomas Riedl

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  • James Gallagher

Predictably selective

future of solar energy research paper

The way to predict outdoor lifetime

The operational stability of perovskite solar cells is often tested in the laboratory environment but its correlation to real-world operation is still unclear. New research shows that the outdoor ageing behaviour of the devices can be modelled with temperature-dependent degradation rates from laboratory stability tests that apply both heat and light stressors.

  • Mark Khenkin
  • Steve Albrecht

future of solar energy research paper

Fixed charge passivation in perovskite solar cells

An interlayer of aluminium oxide with fixed charges is shown to boost perovskite solar cell performance. The open-circuit voltage is increased by 60 meV, and there is no significant efficiency drop after 2,000 hours under one sun illumination at 85 °C.

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future of solar energy research paper

Renewable energy is energy produced from Earth’s natural resources, those that can be replenished faster than they are consumed. Common examples include solar power, hydropower and wind power. Shifting to these renewable energy sources is key to the fight against climate change .

Today, a variety of incentives and subsidies help make it easier for companies to lean on renewable resources as a stable source of power to help alleviate the climate crisis. But the next generation of clean energy requires more than just incentive, it needs innovative technology to improve energy efficiency and power generation to help the world reach net-zero emissions.

Converting sunlight to electrical energy happens in two ways—solar photovoltaics (PV) or concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP). The most common method, solar PV, collects sunlight using solar panels, converts it to electrical energy and stores it in batteries for a variety of uses.

Due to decreasing material prices and advancements in installation processes, the cost of solar power has dropped almost 90% over the past decade, making it more accessible and cost-effective. 1 Fueling this further is the next generation of solar PV technology that’s producing lighter and more flexible, powerful and efficient solar panels that can generate electricity even during periods of low sunlight.

Solar energy generation relies on energy storage systems (ESS) for consistent distribution—so as generation capacity increases, storage systems must keep pace. For example, flow battery technology is being improved to support grid-scale energy storage. A low-cost, reliable and scalable form of ESS, flow batteries can hold hundreds of megawatt hours of electricity on a single charge. This enables utilities to store energy long-term for periods of low- or non-production, helping to manage load and create a stable and resilient power grid.

Extending ESS capabilities becomes increasingly important to decarbonization efforts and a clean energy future as renewable power capacity expands. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2023 alone, renewable energy increased its global capacity by 50%, with solar PV making up three-quarters of that capacity. And in the period between 2023 to 2028, renewable electricity capacity is expected to grow by 7,300 gigawatts with solar PV and onshore wind usage expected to at least double over current levels in India, Brazil, Europe and the US through 2028. 2

Humans have been using wind power to generate mechanical and electrical energy for generations. As a clean, sustainable and cost-effective source of power, wind energy offers immense potential to increase the renewable energy transition across the globe with minimal impact to ecosystems. Based on the IEA forecast, wind electricity generation is expected to more than double to 350 gigawatts (GW) by 2028 3 with China’s renewable energy market increasing 66% in 2023 alone. 4

Wind turbines have evolved from small-scale, such as windmills for household use, to utility-scale for wind farms. But some of the most exciting developments in wind technology are in offshore wind power generation, with many offshore wind projects navigating into deeper waters. Large-scale wind farms are being developed to harness stronger offshore winds to potentially double offshore wind power capacity. In September 2022, The White House announced plans to deploy 30 GW of floating offshore wind power by 2030. This initiative is set to provide 10 million more homes with clean energy, help lower energy costs, support clean energy jobs and further reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. 5

As more clean energy is integrated into power grids, forecasting renewable energy production becomes crucial to managing a stable, resilient electric supply. Renewables forecasting is a solution built on AI , sensors, machine learning , geospatial data , advanced analytics, best-in-class weather data and more to generate accurate, consistent forecasts for variable renewable energy resources like wind. More precise forecasts help operators integrate more renewable energy technologies into the electricity grid. They improve its efficiency and reliability by better projecting when to ramp production up or down, reducing operating costs. For example, Omega Energia increased renewables utilization by improving forecasting accuracy —15% for wind and 30% for solar. These improvements helped boost maintenance efficiency and minimize operating costs.

Hydropower energy systems use water movement including river and stream flow, marine and tidal energy, reservoirs and dams to spin turbines to generate electricity. According to the IEA, hydro will remain the largest clean energy provider through 2030 with exciting new technologies on the horizon. 6

For example, small-scale hydro uses mini-and micro-grids to provide renewable energy to rural areas and areas where larger infrastructure (such as dams) may not be feasible. Using a pump, turbine or waterwheel to convert the natural flow of small rivers and streams into electricity, small-scale hydro provides a sustainable energy source with minimal impact to local ecosystems. In many cases, communities can connect into a centralized grid and sell back excess power produced.

In 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) placed three turbines made of a new thermoplastic composite material that’s less corrodible and more recyclable than traditional materials into New York City’s East River. The new turbines generated the same amount of energy in the same amount of time as their predecessors but with no discernable structural damage. 7 Extreme condition testing is still necessary, but this low-cost, recyclable material has the potential to revolutionize the hydropower market if adopted for widespread use.

Geothermal power plants (large-scale) and geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) (small-scale) convert heat from the Earth’s interior into electricity using steam or hydrocarbon. Geothermal energy was once location dependent—requiring access to geothermal reservoirs deep under the Earth’s crust. The latest research is helping to make geothermal more location agnostic.

Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) bring the necessary water from below the Earth’s surface to where it isn’t, enabling geothermal energy production in places around the globe where it wasn’t previously possible. And as ESG technology evolves, tapping into the Earth’s inexhaustible supply of heat has the potential to provide limitless amounts of clean, low-cost energy for all.

Bioenergy is generated from biomass which consists of organic material such as plants and algae. Although biomass is often disputed as truly renewable, today’s bioenergy is a near zero-emission source of energy.

Developments in biofuels including biodiesel and bioethanol are particularly exciting. Researchers in Australia are exploring converting organic material into sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). This could help reduce jet fuel carbon emissions by up to 80%. 8 Stateside, the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is developing technology to help reduce the costs and environmental impacts of bioenergy and bioproduct production while improving their quality. 9

Technology to support the future of renewable energy

A clean energy economy relies on renewable energy sources that are vulnerable to environmental factors and as more are incorporated into power grids, technology to help manage those risks is crucial. The IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite can help organizations boost resiliency and sustainability by anticipating potential disruptions and proactively reducing risk throughout operations and extended supply chains.

Watch a demo of the Environmental Intelligence Suite Renewables Forecasting platform to see how it generates high-accuracy renewable energy production forecasts for wind and solar farms.

1 Fossil fuels ‘becoming obsolete’ as solar panel prices plummet (link resides outside ibm.com), The Independent, 27 September 2023.

2 Massive expansion of renewable power opens door to achieving global tripling goal set at COP28 (link resides outside ibm.com), International Energy Agency, 11 January 2024.

3 Wind (link resides outside ibm.com), International Energy Agency, 11 July 2023.

4 Renewables—Electricity (link resides outside ibm.com), International Energy Agency, January 2024.

5 New Actions to Expand U.S. Offshore Wind Energy (link resides outside ibm.com), The White House, 15 September 2022.

6 Hydroelectricity (link resides outside of ibm.com), International Energy Agency, 11 July 2023.

7 10 Significant Water Power Accomplishments From 2021 , National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 18 January 2022.

8 To power a future built for life (link resides outside ibm.com), Jet Zero Australia, accessed 11 January 2024.

9 Renewable Carbon Resources (link resides outside ibm.com), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, accessed 28 December 2023.

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The Future of Solar Energy in the AI Era

  • Comment (1)
  • Feb 14, 2024 Feb 14, 2024 2:18 pm GMT

future of solar energy research paper

However, solar technology faces ongoing challenges related to efficiency, scalability, and storage that have limited more widespread adoption. Most commercial solar panels only convert 15–22% of sunlight into electricity, with the rest lost as heat waste. Additionally, it remains difficult to scale solar electricity generation to meet the immense energy demands of urban areas and manufacturing ...

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Ahmed Mousa, Ph.D.'s picture

In few years, many solar sites will reach their end of life; it will be interesting from a grid perspective if new panels with higher efficiency are installed coupled with advanced smart inverters. 

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 Achieving Target Will Create $1 Billion in Energy Savings

WASHINGTON, D.C.  — At the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP) Annual Summit today, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Marootian challenged the community solar industry to commit to meeting the NCSP target of 20 gigawatts (GW) of community solar by 2025—up from seven GW today. DOE also launched several new initiatives aimed at supporting the deployment of community solar, a critical tool for achieving DOE’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 while providing an equitable pathway to renewable energy for all Americans.

“Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and Solar for All programs, this target is within reach,” said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “DOE and our partners at NCSP are committed to providing industry with the tools and information they need to advance our national goal of accessible, affordable community solar for every American household.”

NCSP announced the target in 2021 and estimated that 20 GW of community solar would power the equivalent of 5 million households and create $1 billion in energy savings for subscribers. Since then, the rollout of new and expanded tax credits, and funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All residential investment programs, which can include investment in community solar, have primed the industry to experience rapid growth—and the market potential is significant. In a new report , the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates that if all technically viable community solar is deployed, it could serve more than 53 million households and over 300,000 businesses in the U.S. that cannot access rooftop solar, representing nearly 1 terawatt of potential community solar capacity. 

View the study findings and attend NREL’s upcoming webinar to learn more . 

Solar panels in front of mountains

Mount Meeker and 14,259-foot Longs Peak serve as a backdrop for the Jeffco Community Solar Garden in Arvada, Colorado. The 1.5-megawatt farm serves homes in Arvada, parts of Jefferson County and other surrounding counties. Community solar gardens allow residents who can’t put solar panels on their homes or apartments to participate in clean energy programs by signing up with a developer, who acquires land for a panel array of 5 to 15 megawatts. 

In support of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary’s challenge to the industry, NCSP announced the following initiatives at the event:

Equitable Solar Communities of Practice 

The DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office selected five organizations to lead new Equitable Solar Communities of Practice, pending negotiation and final acceptance. These organizations will each receive $75,000 to identify and convene a core team of key stakeholders over a 6-month period to identify resource gaps, support the development and dissemination of best practices and resources, and identify pathways to scale equitable solar practices:

  • Solar United Neighbors: Equitable Access and Consumer Protections – This community of practice will focus on solar sales practices, contract terms and disclosures, and availability of financial products that support strong consumer protections and participation among all households, and inclusive education and outreach.   
  • Clean Energy States Alliance: Meaningful Household Savings – This community of practice will focus on providing household savings for energy burden reductions, wealth building opportunities, and other direct benefits for all households including renters.    
  • Clean Energy Group: Resilience, Storage, and Grid Benefits – This community of practice will support household- and community-level resilience, grid strengthening and grid-level resilience, and improved health outcomes through reduced or shortened power outages.  
  • Cooperative Energy Futures: Community-led Economic Development – This community of practice will focus on models and opportunities for local economic development which can include community ownership models, community benefits agreements, entrepreneurship support, and increased support for local-, small-, minority-, and women-owned businesses. 
  • Midwest Renewable Energy Association: Solar Workforce – This community of practice will work on ways to ensure that solar jobs are accessible to workers from all backgrounds, provide prevailing wages and benefits, support career pathways and training, and provide opportunities to participate in a union.   

Learn more about the Equitable Solar Communities of Practice . This funding opportunity is managed by   ENERGYWERX, a collaboration made possible through an innovative Partnership Intermediary Agreement set up by the DOE Office of Technology Transitions .

Least-Cost Optimal Distribution Grid Expansion (LODGE) Model 

LODGE , a new model released today, identifies the most cost-effective ways community solar can be sited on the grid, with a focus on minimizing interconnection costs and maximizing distributed resource deployment. Historically, community solar adoption can be held up by costly grid upgrades or untimely review processes. If adopted widely, the model has the potential to encourage streamlined interconnection and community solar deployment. The LODGE tool complements DOE’s existing  Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange program, a stakeholder partnership with the goal of enabling a faster, simpler, and fairer interconnection process for clean energy resources.  

Developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the model is being piloted with the Oregon Public Utility Commission Additional state utilities and electric public utility commissions interested in piloting the tool should become a LODGE model partner . 

Learn more about the tool at NCSP’s interconnection and LODGE model webinar on March 7 at 11 a.m. ET . 

Learn about  NCSP’s other community solar initiatives . 

Read More Solar Energy News

IMAGES

  1. 🏆 Solar energy paper. Solar Energy for Homes, Research Paper Example

    future of solar energy research paper

  2. (PDF) Research and Application of Solar Energy Photovoltaic-Thermal

    future of solar energy research paper

  3. (PDF) A Review Paper on Solar energy in India

    future of solar energy research paper

  4. (PDF) Research of Solar Panel System for Future Scope

    future of solar energy research paper

  5. Solar Futures Study

    future of solar energy research paper

  6. (PDF) Introduction to Solar Energy

    future of solar energy research paper

COMMENTS

  1. The Future of Solar Energy

    The Future of Solar Energy considers only the two widely recognized classes of technologies for converting solar energy into electricity — photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP), sometimes called solar thermal) — in their current and plausible future forms. Because energy supply facilities typically last several decades, technologies in these classes will dominate solar ...

  2. (PDF) The Future of Solar Energy

    Solar energy and its resulting derivatives is the answer and driver behind all the energy we have access to and will continue to use into the foreseeable future. While nuclear plays a part in our ...

  3. Solar energy for future world:

    However, solar energy could be a best option for the future world because of several reasons: First, solar energy is the most abundant energy source of renewable energy and sun emits it at the rate of 3.8×10 kW,out of which approximately 1.8×10 kW is intercepted by the earth . Solar energy reaches the earth in various forms like heat and light.

  4. Solar energy: Potential and future prospects

    A number of technical problems affecting renewable energy research are also highlighted, along with beneficial interactions between regulation policy frameworks and their future prospects. In order to help open novel routes with regard to solar energy research and practices, a future roadmap for the field of solar research is discussed.

  5. The momentum of the solar energy transition

    Future of Solar Photovoltaic: Deployment, investment, technology, grid integration and socio-economic aspects (A Global Energy Transformation paper). (International Renewable Energy Agency, 2019).

  6. PDF Investing in a Clean Energy Future: Solar Energy Research, Deployment

    America's shift to. clean energy future requires investment in a vast renewable energy technologies portfolio, which includes solar energy. Solar is the fastest-growing source of new electricity generation in the nation - growing 4,000 percent over the past decade - and will play an important role in reaching the administration's goals.

  7. PDF Future of Solar Photovoltaic

    IRENA (2019), Future of Solar Photovoltaic: Deployment, investment, technology, grid integration and socio-economic aspects (A Global Energy Transformation: paper), International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi. This document presents additional findings from Global energy transformation: A roadmap to 2050 (2019 edition) available

  8. Solar energy for future world:

    Therefore, this paper trends to bring overall fundamental view of solar energy for future world with logical justification. Photovoltaic technology, world׳s energy scenario, remarkable research highlights of solar PV industry, application of solar energy and barriers to such industry have been discussed systematically.

  9. Solar energy—A look into power generation, challenges, and a solar

    Solar energy has a bright future because of the technological advancement in this field and its environment-friendly nature. The biggest challenge however facing the solar energy future is its unavailability all-round the year, coupled with its high capital cost and scarcity of the materials for PV cells.

  10. The Future of Solar Energy: An Interdisciplinary MIT Study

    Abstract/Summary: Solar electricity generation is one of very few low-carbon energy technologies with the potential to grow to very large scale. As a consequence, massive expansion of global solar generating capacity to multi-terawatt scale is very likely an essential component of a workable strategy to mitigate climate change risk. Recent ...

  11. (PDF) Solar Energy Technology

    In this study mainly focus on solar energy and discusses innovation, improvements, and future view of solar energy technologies. Discover the world's research 25+ million members

  12. PDF MIT Energy Initiative

    MIT Energy Initiative

  13. The Future of Solar is Bright

    by Emily Kerr. figures by Abagail Burrus. The Sun emits enough power onto Earth each second to satisfy the entire human energy demand for over two hours. Given that it is readily available and renewable, solar power is an attractive source of energy. However, as of 2018, less than two percent of the world's energy came from solar.

  14. overview of the existing and future state of the art advancement of

    In-depth study on optimal size design, power electronics topologies, and control is summarized here. This review paper discusses solar-wind hybrid systems' energy storage and household usage. Solar-wind hybrid energy systems reduce monthly electricity costs in the most economical way.

  15. (PDF) Solar energy—A look into power generation ...

    The biggest challenge however facing the solar energy future is its unavailability all‐round the year, coupled with its high capital cost and scarcity of the materials for PV cells. These ...

  16. The Future of Solar Energy: A summary and recommendations for

    Nancy W. Stauffer December 14, 2015 MITEI. On May 5, 2015, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, an MIT team released The Future of Solar Energy , the latest of seven multidisciplinary MIT reports that examine the role that various energy sources could play in meeting energy demand in a carbon-constrained future.

  17. Energies

    The ambitious target of net-zero emission by 2050 has been aggressively driving the renewable energy sector in many countries. Leading the race of renewable energy sources is solar energy, the fastest growing energy source at present. The solar industry has witnessed more growth in the last decade than it has in the past 40 years, owing to its technological advancements, plummeting costs, and ...

  18. Researchers improve efficiency of next-generation solar cell material

    Perovskites are a leading candidate for eventually replacing silicon as the material of choice for solar panels. They offer the potential for low-cost, low-temperature manufacturing of ultrathin, lightweight flexible cells, but so far their efficiency at converting sunlight to electricity has lagged behind that of silicon and some other alternatives.

  19. Towards Sustainable Energy: A Systematic Review of Renewable Energy

    The use of renewable energy resources, such as solar, wind, and biomass will not diminish their availability. Sunlight being a constant source of energy is used to meet the ever-increasing energy need. This review discusses the world's energy needs, renewable energy technologies for domestic use, and highlights public opinions on renewable energy. A systematic review of the literature was ...

  20. Solar photovoltaic technology: A review of different types of solar

    Paper • The following article is Open access. Solar photovoltaic technology: A review of different types of solar cells and its future trends. Mugdha V Dambhare 1, Bhavana ... Sunlight reaching to Earth's surface has potential to fulfill all our ever increasing energy demands. Solar Photovoltaic technology deals with conversion of incident ...

  21. Solar energy technology and its roles in sustainable development

    3 The perspective of solar energy. Solar energy investments can meet energy targets and environmental protection by reducing carbon emissions while having no detrimental influence on the country's development [32, 34].In countries located in the 'Sunbelt', there is huge potential for solar energy, where there is a year-round abundance of solar global horizontal irradiation.

  22. Solar technologies and their implementations: A review

    Out of all available renewable energy sources, this article emphasizes Solar Energy as its potential application surpasses other renewable energy currently and in the future [9]. This article gives a comprehensive review of solar energy and various technologies used for the effective utilization of this solar energy.

  23. Researchers find benefits of solar photovoltaics outweigh costs

    Benefits of solar photovoltaic energy generation outweigh the costs, according to new research from the MIT Energy Initiative. Over a seven-year period, decline in PV costs outpaced decline in value; by 2017, market, health, and climate benefits outweighed the cost of PV systems.

  24. Advanced solar panels still need to pass the test of time

    The latest such news comes from Oxford PV—in January, the company announced that one of its panels reached a 25% conversion efficiency, meaning a quarter of the solar energy beaming onto the ...

  25. Solar energy

    An interlayer of aluminium oxide with fixed charges is shown to boost perovskite solar cell performance. The open-circuit voltage is increased by 60 meV, and there is no significant efficiency ...

  26. The future of renewable energy

    1 Fossil fuels 'becoming obsolete' as solar panel prices plummet (link resides outside ibm.com), The Independent, 27 September 2023.. 2 Massive expansion of renewable power opens door to achieving global tripling goal set at COP28 (link resides outside ibm.com), International Energy Agency, 11 January 2024.. 3 Wind (link resides outside ibm.com), International Energy Agency, 11 July 2023.

  27. The Future of Solar Energy in the AI Era

    However, solar technology faces ongoing challenges related to efficiency, scalability, and storage that have limited more widespread adoption. Most commercial solar panels only convert 15-22% of sunlight into electricity, with the rest lost as heat waste. Additionally, it remains difficult to scale solar electricity generation to meet the immense energy demands of urban areas

  28. DOE Challenges Solar Industry to Triple ...

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — At the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP) Annual Summit today, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Marootian challenged the community solar industry to commit to meeting the NCSP target of 20 gigawatts (GW) of community solar by 2025—up from seven GW today. DOE also launched several new initiatives aimed at supporting ...

  29. Techno-economic analysis and predictive operation of a power-to

    To enhance renewable energy (RE) generation and maintain power balance, energy storage systems are of utmost importance. This research introduces a cutting-edge Power-to-Hydrogen (PtH) framework that harnesses hydrogen as a clean and versatile energy storage medium. The primary focus of this study lies in optimizing power flow within a microgrid (μG) equipped with RE and energy storage ...