Scientometric Trends and Impact of Solar Energy and Waste-to-Energy Research (2008-2022): Insights into Growth, Citation Patterns, and Collaboration

Abstract

Research on solar energy and waste-to-energy technologies has expanded due to the growing emphasis on sustainable energy sources, and scientometric studies have provided valuable insights for future directions in these areas. The study examines the scientometric trends and impact of research in solar energy and waste-to-energy from 2008 to 2022, focusing on key indicators such as citation rates, growth rates, publication efficiency, and collaboration patterns. The study analyzed 17,469 research papers on solar energy and 8,149 on waste-to-energy published from 2008 to 2022 using scientometric methods. Key indicators, such as average citations per paper, annual growth rate, exponential growth rate, activity index, publication efficiency index, relative growth rate, doubling time, and degree of collaboration, were calculated. The highest average citation per paper was 64.30 for solar energy and 86.09 for waste-to-energy. The peak annual growth rate (AGR) was 50.00 in 2006 for solar energy and 38.64 in 2020 for waste-to-energy. Exponential growth rates reached 1.50 in 2013 for solar energy (585 publications) and 1.39 in 2020 for waste-to-energy (1,062 publications). The activity index was highest in 2022, with 144.05 for solar energy and 143.72 for waste-to-energy. The average publication efficiency index for both fields was 1.49, and the study highlighted significant contributions by multiple authors across both topics. Other indicators, including relative growth rate (RGR), doubling time (Dt) for publications and citations, and degree of collaboration, underscored substantial research momentum and collaboration in these fields. The data show a strong growth trend and significant impact on research in waste-to-energy and solar energy, along with a noticeable increase in collaborative research initiatives. These patterns indicate an ongoing interest in and solid understanding of renewable energy technologies, which are essential for achieving future sustainability and energy objectives.