Chapter 2 - Solar energy conversion technologies: principles and advancements

Abstract

Burning fossil fuels releases a tremendous amount of greenhouse gases and causes destructive environmental impacts including air pollution, acid rain, and climate change, resulting in severe damage to human life and the ecosystem. Regarding this, seeking alternative low-carbon energy sources has become a global necessity, and employing renewable energy sources (RESs) is considered a potential solution. The energy sector is globally facing challenges concerning sustainability that one is the gradual transition from the current energy mix into a sustainable structure that contains higher shares of RESs. Hence, energy conversion technologies play a crucial role in achieving this goal. Among different RESs, solar energy is designated as a plenteous, carbon-free, and nontoxic energy source. Thanks to the ongoing progress in the development of solar energy technology, there is a great potential of providing energy requirements of human daily life using this clean source of energy. Solar energy can be harnessed by employing different technologies which are generally classified as “direct” and “indirect.” Using direct technologies, solar heat and electricity can be provided using solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic (PV) modules, respectively, while employing indirect technologies, the electricity is generated on large scales using solar-driven power cycles. PV power plants also generate electricity in large capacities with the minimum environmental impacts in comparison with fossil-based power plants. This chapter aims to give an insight into the status of the global energy supply and the future roadmap and provide an overview of solar energy conversion technologies. In this context, different types of solar thermal collectors, solar PV systems, and energy storage technologies are presented and discussed. Additionally, photovoltaic–thermal (PVT) technology and applications of nanofluids in solar systems as the most recent topics in this field are introduced. In the end, challenges and opportunities at the technical level are explored.