3 - Solar Photovoltaics

Summary

Solar energy is vast, ubiquitous, non-polluting and indefinitely sustainable. It is an ideal energy solution for millions of years. Since 2016, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has been the dominant global energy technology in terms of net new electricity generation capacity being added each year. It is also the cheapest at low and moderate latitudes where three-quarters of the global population resides, and where most of the growth in population and energy demand is occurring. It is likely that solar PV technology will pass coal to become the largest source of electricity during the 2020s. Renewable electrification of transport, heating and industry will allow solar PV systems (in conjunction with wind energy) to push most fossil fuels out of the global economy, leading to reductions in greenhouse emissions of three-quarters. This chapter describes the technology, economics and market prospects for solar PV technology across the globe, and touches on the technologies required to support high levels of solar PV energy, including long-distance electricity transmission and energy storage.