This study presents options to fully unlock the world’s vast solar PV potential over the period until 2050. It builds on IRENA’s global roadmap to scale up renewables and meet climate goals.
How solar could spark a clean-energy transition through transformative innovation—creative financing, revolutionary technologies, and flexible energy systems. Solar energy, once a niche application for a limited market, has become the cheapest and fastest-growing power source on earth. What's more, its potential is nearly limitless—every hour the sun beams down more energy than the world uses in a year. But in Taming the Sun, energy expert Varun Sivaram warns that the world is not yet equipped to harness erratic sunshine to meet most of its energy needs. And if solar's current surge peters out, prospects for replacing fossil fuels and averting catastrophic climate change will dim. Innovation can brighten those prospects, Sivaram explains, drawing on firsthand experience and original research spanning science, business, and government. Financial innovation is already enticing deep-pocketed investors to fund solar projects around the world, from the sunniest deserts to the poorest villages. Technological innovation could replace today's solar panels with coatings as cheap as paint and employ artificial photosynthesis to store intermittent sunshine as convenient fuels. And systemic innovation could add flexibility to the world's power grids and other energy systems so they can dependably channel the sun's unreliable energy. Unleashing all this innovation will require visionary public policy: funding researchers developing next-generation solar technologies, refashioning energy systems and economic markets, and putting together a diverse clean energy portfolio. Although solar can't power the planet by itself, it can be the centerpiece of a global clean energy revolution. A Council on Foreign Relations Book
Solar power has become big business, with $131 billion invested in 2018, up from just $11.2 billion in 2004 but down from $171 billion in 2017 as unit costs fell. New installed capacity grew from 1.1GW in 2004 to about 107GW in 2018, a steady rise as solar begins to compete with fossil fuels on cost and to be built in nearly every country.This is a book for the solar workers of the future, a business book for those without a business or economics background and those simply curious about major shifts happening in the world energy economy. Key financial, economic and technical concepts are interspersed with the history of the first decade of cheap solar power, and the author's experience of being part of a successful startup in the clean energy sector.
A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems: With Special Focus on Photovoltaic Systems, the most advanced and research focused text on all aspects of solar energy engineering, is a must have edition on the present state of solar technology, integration and worldwide distribution. In addition, the book provides a high-level assessment of the growth trends in photovoltaics and how investment, planning and economic infrastructure can support those innovations. Each chapter includes a research overview with a detailed analysis and new case studies that look at how recent research developments can be applied. Written by some of the most forward-thinking professionals, this book is an invaluable reference for engineers. - Contains analysis of the latest high-level research and explores real world application potential in relation to developments - Uses system international (SI) units and imperial units throughout to appeal to global engineers - Offers measurable data written by a world expert in the field on the latest developments in this fast moving and vital subject
Solar PV is now the third most important renewable energy source, after hydro and wind power, in terms of global installed capacity. Bringing together the expertise of international PV specialists Photovoltaic Solar Energy: From Fundamentals to Applications provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of existing PV technologies in conjunction with an assessment of technological developments. Key features: Written by leading specialists active in concurrent developments in material sciences, solar cell research and application-driven R&D. Provides a basic knowledge base in light, photons and solar irradiance and basic functional principles of PV. Covers characterization techniques, economics and applications of PV such as silicon, thin-film and hybrid solar cells. Presents a compendium of PV technologies including: crystalline silicon technologies; chalcogenide thin film solar cells; thin-film silicon based PV technologies; organic PV and III-Vs; PV concentrator technologies; space technologies and economics, life-cycle and user aspects of PV technologies. Each chapter presents basic principles and formulas as well as major technological developments in a contemporary context with a look at future developments in this rapidly changing field of science and engineering. Ideal for industrial engineers and scientists beginning careers in PV as well as graduate students undertaking PV research and high-level undergraduate students.
With reference to many examples as well as to new technologies, written by experts in the field, this accessible book provides insight into a crucial technology and numerous color pictures contribute to the book's readability.
This is the first and probably the only book devoted to utility-scale solar power – perhaps the fastest-growing sector of the global energy market. Philip Wolfe’s book describes the development and operation of large-scale solar power stations, and will interest all those who want to understand how these multi-million dollar projects are designed, structured, financed, constructed and maintained. It contains case studies of the Waldpolenz Energy Park, Germany, Lopburi Solar Plant in Thailand and the Topaz Solar Farm in California. Also included are interviews from leading figures in the PV industry. It shows the state of the world market and links to an online resource that continues to track the explosive growth of the sector. The book is arranged in three sections: A description of solar projects in context, and how they are undertaken. Chapters on developing and structuring projects; siting, consenting and connection issues; building and operating solar plants; design and technology basics; economies of solar photovoltaics. The second section reviews individual aspects of the project development and operational process in more detail. In particular it advises on strategies to manage technology, commercial, regulatory and implementation risks. These are supported by a comprehensive reference section, including case studies and overviews of key parameters applicable in different parts of the world. Supported by figures and photographs, this book is for anyone wanting to master the commercial, professional, financial, engineering or political aspects of developing multi-mega-watt solar PV projects in a mainstream power market. It is a ‘user manual’ to accompany a sector which by 2015 had surpassed a value of $100 billion.
Given the backdrop of intense interest and widespread discussion on the prospects of a hydrogen energy economy, this book aims to provide an authoritative and up-to-date scientific account of hydrogen generation using solar energy and renewable sources such as water. While the technological and economic aspects of solar hydrogen generation are evolving, the scientific principles underlying various solar-assisted water splitting schemes already have a firm footing. This book aims to expose a broad-based audience to these principles. This book spans the disciplines of solar energy conversion, electrochemistry, photochemistry, photoelectrochemistry, materials chemistry, device physics/engineering, and biology.
The intention of this book is to provide an impression of all aspects of p- tovoltaics (PV). It is not just about physics and technology or systems, but it looks beyond that at the entire environment in which PV is embedded. The ?rst chapter is intended as an introduction to the subject. It can also be considered an executive summary. Chapters 2–4 describe very brie?y the basic physics and technology of the solar cell. The silicon cell is the vehicle for this description because it is the best understood solar cell and also has the greatest practical importance. A reader who is not interested in the ph- ical details of the solar cell can skip Chap.2 and still understand the rest of the book. In general, it was the intention of the authors to keep the book at a level that does not require too much previous knowledge of photovoltaics. Chapter5isdevotedtoothermaterialsandnewconceptspresentlyunder- velopment or consideration. It intends to provide an impression of the many possibilities that exist for the conversion of solar radiation into electricity by solid state devices. These new concepts will keep researchers occupied for decades to come. Chapter 6 gives an introduction to cell and module techn- ogy and also informs the reader about the environmental compatibility and recycling of modules. The following chapters are devoted to practical applications. Chapters 7 and 8 introduce systems technology for di?erent applications. The envir- mental impact of PV systems and their reliability is the subject of Chap.9.
Solar Energy Systems: Progress and Future Directions presents some new concepts and ideas regarding future steps in the development and progress of solar thermal energy. Preliminary results for advanced control of solar plants are presented using effective defocusing mechanisms.The authors discuss the sizing ratio of grid-connected photovoltaic systems and the relationship of this parameter with the maximum available power. Additionally, the optimum value of the sizing ratio of a grid-connected photovoltaic system is defined as one that maximizes the yearly energy efficiency in the photovoltaic installation considered.The concluding study makes a comparative econometric analysis on the relationship between the solar energy consumption that is produced by solar energy systems and the economic growth for the group of G-7 & G-20 countries. The econometric analysis includes panel data techniques with a chosen appropriate production function.