Solar Revolution Research Articles

The Solar Revolution: A Comprehensive Review of Solar Cell Technologies and Their Impact

The Solar Revolution: A Comprehensive Review of Solar Cell Technologies and Their Impact

Solar architecture and the sufficiency imperative

It is hard to assess the pace and prospects of the solar revolution and the just energy transition. In architecture solar energy continues to be seen as a salve, a convenient and effective response to the forces – social, regulatory, economic – pushing for more and more efficient energy use in buildings. Photovoltaics solve everyone's problem: the building's form and program do not change dramatically, the renewable industry is furthered in its boom, savings in energy bills follow. Occupancy of the building goes on more or less as before.Yet the application of solar panels to a building, not to mention the prospect for more and more expansive solar farms, reproduces the extractive model of fossil fuels. Rare earth materials need to be mined and shipped. The manufacturing process is toxic. The beneficiaries tend to be those who can already afford to save and conserve. The clean are getting cleaner, while those struggling with energy supply are less frequently benefited. The panels need to be replaced relatively frequently, yoking economies to resource dependencies sure to be exacerbated as electricity demand swells. Amidst the broad discourse around the just energy transition, photovoltaic solar energy is itself most likely transitional, contingent and conditional.The analysis of architecture provides a few windows on to the nuances and challenges of this next phase of the just energy transition – on how we can collectively think differently around resources and their provision in our buildings, as a site for both collectivization and social transformation.

Unleashing the solar revolution: harnessing the power of an ultra-strong tensile strength PGTPP nanocomposite photocatalyst for artificial photosynthesis

Indeed, natural photocatalysis is a highly promising approach for renewable energy production and the synthesis of cost-effective organic compounds.

USER EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES OF THE SOLAR REVOLUTION IN BANGLADESH: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

The solar energy sector in Bangladesh has undergone rapid growth in recent years, driven by the government’s commitment to achieving universal access to electricity by 2025. However, despite significant progress, there is still a need to understand the impact of the solar revolution on the lives of people in Bangladesh. This study aims to explore the user experiences and perspectives of the solar revolution in Bangladesh and to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of solar energy. A qualitative research approach, including interviews and focus group discussions, will be used to collect data from 40 participants who have been using solar home systems and mini-grids for at least one year in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh. The findings of this study can inform policy and practice in the solar energy sector in Bangladesh and can contribute to the wider literature on renewable energy in developing countries.

Shifting practices: How the rise of rooftop solar PV has changed local government community engagement

Australian local governments develop and deliver a range of community engagement programmes designed to reduce household-based greenhouse gas emissions. This article draws on practice theory to analyse how these programmes have changed over time in response to the rapid deployment of a domestic renewable energy technology: rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV). After outlining the practice lens used to analyse these practices, we draw on empirical research to examine forms of climate change community engagement practice including meanings of leadership adopted by local governments. We note how these play out in the form of ambitious community-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets that favour technological responses to climate change which in turn has favoured the rise of rooftop solar PV, and how community engagement practices have changed as a result. We find that Australian local government climate change community engagement practices have experienced three distinct forms of performance. The first, what might be termed traditional climate change community engagement practices, rely upon individuals acting out of adherence to pro-social environmental values. The second highlights the technology of rooftop solar PV with its associated pro-individual motivations, such as financial benefit. The third form, which is currently emerging, positions local governments as disruptors of centralised energy systems mobilising rooftop solar PV amongst actors currently excluded from the solar revolution, such as renters, low income households and community energy groups. In extending the meanings of rooftop solar PV uptake beyond financial benefits to a shared response to climate change, local governments become active agents in mobilising community energy transitions.

A 27-Day Period in the Flux of Jovian Electrons at the Earth’s Orbit

Variations in the flux of Jovian electrons near the Earth in two synodic cycles of the Earth–Jupiter system, in 1974–1975 and 2007–2008, are considered. In the 1974–1975 cycle, Jovian electrons were observed by IMP-8 during 13 successive solar rotations; electrons were observed by SOHO during 14 solar rotations during the 2007–2008 cycle. The fluxes of these electrons in each solar revolution experienced variations with a characteristic time scale of ~27 d , with the maximum flux near the middle of the rotation. The mean period of the variations does not coincide with the synodic period for the Sun–Earth system, equal to 27.3 d . The mean variation periods for the electron fluxes were 26.8 d in 1974–1975 and 26.1 d in 2007–2008. The detected variations are interpreted as reflecting variations in the structure of the solar wind speed and associated magnetic traps, the confinement time of the electrons in thesemagnetic traps, and the influence of the relative positions of the Earth and Jupiter in space.

The time for CIGS

This special issue of Progress in Photovoltaics (PIP) is completely devoted to the state of the art in chalcopyrite Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS)-based solar cells research and technology. We made the choice to ask for in-depth review papers with joint authorship by scientists from internationally leading research institutions involved in different areas in the field of CIGS solar cells and modules. These invited reviews are devoted to key aspects and specificities of the CIGS photovoltaics (PV) field with an aim to provide to the interested reader a snapshot of the 2010 CIGS's technological landscape and perspectives. The paper from Siebentritt et al. describes fundamental aspects of electronic properties of chalcopyrites and how they are influenced by native defects and grain boundaries. Naghavi et al. summarize the current status of research and development in buffer layers and transparent conducting oxides with special focus of novel and alternative materials and deposition processes. And, influences on solar cell efficiency and metastability are also addressed in this special issue of PIP. While CIGS solar cell technologies based on vacuum deposited absorber layers have driven the advancements with the highest efficiency records and heading towards industrial maturity, the non-vacuum processes are drawing considerable attention because of the attractive inherent features related to large area scale up and low cost processing. Hibberd et al. provide a comprehensive review of various deposition methods and current status of this approach for the fabrication of CIGS solar cells. On the other hand, the review paper from Niki et al. is focused on solar cell and module technologies based on vacuum deposited absorber layers describing aspects of manufacturing and performance stability. The topics of process monitoring and control are very important for the development of reproducible manufacturing processes and also to enhance the production yield. Scheer et al. provide a critical assessment of various techniques and tools to study fundamental physical properties of CIGS PV materials and solar cells with special emphasis on the application of laser light scattering, Raman scattering and time resolved photoluminescence. Editors accept that some important topics might be missing and could have been addressed, and also contributions from several other leading groups could have further enhanced the value of the special issue. By the way the special issue comes timely in a key transition period for PV, not only regarding the global acceleration of the growth of PV production towards large scale deployment in the near future, but also strengthening the position of thin film PV technologies with respect to traditional wafer-based silicon PV. At the beginning of the decade, the share of thin film PV, mostly a-Si based, was decreasing in relative value, from 12.5% in 2000 to 6% in 2005, giving the impression that contrary to the expectations thin film technologies will not become competitive. However, 2005 saw the start of large scale industrial commercial development of thin film CdTe with ever growing success in increasing production volume and decreasing production costs to the ‘benchmark value of below one dollar’ for the first time. Thin film PV production is increasing in volume as well as in terms of relative contribution to the global PV production with an incredibly high growth rate. In 2009, a CdTe thin film company became for the first time in PV history the number 1 in the field: who would have expected this revolution? After 30 years of R&D, the ‘potential’ of chalcogenide compound semiconductors had finally been demonstrated! But this may be only the beginning of the success story for chalcogenide materials. As in the case of CdTe, CIGS has progressed step by step, reaching an incredible level of efficiency of 20% while the industrial production of CIGS modules crossed the symbolic value of 1% in market share in 2008. Does it means that CIGS share will be of 9% within 4 years of the total PV production? Maybe yes, many indicators point that way, but one thing is certain: CIGS technology is here to stay and will successfully contribute to the solar revolution. We hope that this special issue, giving an example of very dynamic worldwide research networks and collaborations, will be useful for making this challenge a reality. It is the right time for CIGS!

Solar geoeffective phenomena: Impact on the near-Earth space and the opportunity to forecast

the state of near-Earth space (NES) are extremely large flare events and coronal holes. We attribute to the class of flare phenomena solar flares with a complete spectrum of dynamic manifestations of the mass motion and radiation in all ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum as well as solar filament eruptions with all accompanying phenomena. The possibility to predict geoeective solar phenomena and their eects on NES is based on the analysis of correlations: emergence of new magnetic fluxes in the solar atmosphere, their physical characteristics, and the character of their interaction with the already present magnetic field; time distribution of large flares within active regions; temporal and spatial distribution of solar filament eruptions; formation, distribution, and evolution of solar coronal holes (CH). The agents causing NES disturbances are transient structures: coronal mass ejections, which result from active processes in flares and filament eruptions; high-speed flows of solar plasma following a shock wave from large solar flares and solar filament eruptions or outflowing from regions with an open magnetic configuration. Prediction for the beginning of NES disturbances and of their duration is possible for a period from 1 to 5 days and for coronal holes for a period of one solar revolution (27.3 days). This makes possible planning various technological, biological, and medical experiments together with protective measures for the team and instruments of space laboratories. INDEX TERMS: 7536 Solar Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy: Solar activity cycle; 7899 Space Plasma Physics: General or miscellaneous; 7974 Space Weather: Solar eects; 7984 Space Weather: Space radiation environment; KEYWORDS: Solar geoeective phenomena, near-Earth space, forecasting, cyclicity of solar activity.

Some properties of the latitude brightness distributions in the K and F coronae according to SOHO/LASCO data

We have obtained continuous latitude distributions of the K and F corona brightnesses at various distances for the first time, using both the Hayes—Vourlidas—Howard method and our own recently proposed, simple technique for separating the emission of the K and F coronas. Data from the LASCO C2 and C3 coronagraphs are analyzed. Variations of the angular size of the brightness distribution of the F corona with latitude and distance are estimated, as well as the ratio of the maximum F-corona brightness to the F-corona brightness at the pole. The variations in the F-corona brightness at large distances (R = 25 R⊙, where R⊙ is the solar radius) are studied on various time scales—a month, a year, and 11 years (the solar cycle). The latitude distribution of the F-corona brightness varies most appreciably over a year, and only weakly over one solar revolution and one solar-activity cycle (as considered on a fixed day of the year).

Review: Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry by Travis Bradford

Review: Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry By Travis Bradford Reviewed by Umar Karim Mirza Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Pakistan Travis Bradford. Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006. 248 pp. ISBN: 978-0-262-02604-8, US $24.95, Hardcover, Alkaline paper. Travis Bradford is the President of the Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development which he himself founded in 2003. Before that, he was working in the financial field. He has also served as a board member and manager of dozens of public and private companies. He has been a speaker at various universities including Columbia, Harvard, and Duke, on topics related to finance and alternative energy economics. Energy is essential to our survival and technological advancement. We have now entered an era where fossil fuels are becoming increasingly extinct. Moreover, too much reliance on fossil fuels during the last one and a half centuries has already pushed us toward the brink of environmental crises. Attention has now been diverted to developing environment-friendly clean energy resources which are renewable as well. Solar energy, one such resource, is the subject of this book. The book comprises ten chapters divided into four parts. Part I, The Inevitability of Solar Energy, contains one chapter in which the author talks about the present fossil-fuel based energy system, introduces solar energy with its merits and demerits, and provides an introduction to the coming parts. There are four chapters in Part II, Past to the Present. A brief history of energy is presented first. The author then moves on to discuss the present energy system and rightly terms it as unsustainable both environmentally and with respect to the magnitude of remaining fossil fuel reserves. The alternatives are discussed next with the author concluding that hydroelectric dams; nuclear power; wind energy and other renewable resources like biomass, geothermal, ocean power; fusion and hydrogen economy are not worthy alternatives for various reasons. The last chapter in this part is dedicated to solar energy. A short history of solar energy along with its transition into a commercial energy source, solar energy markets, solar industry expansion and cost economics are discussed. The author remarks that solar PV modules production cost has dropped 86 percent since the late 1970s and it will continue to drop further in coming years. Part III, Future Transformation, has three chapters. The first one discusses electric utility economics. It compares the costs of different electricity generation options. In the next chapter, the author talks about

The solar revolution: Micropower and security in the changing world

As society revises definitions of security in the wake of the attach on America, one potential scenario/plan leaps out. The modern renewable energy industry could in principle build a world with much reduced dependence on oil, devoid of nuclear power stations. Such a world would dismantle many security threats. The oil-independent world would be far less prone to the spawning of terrorists in the first place, not to mention the recessions that tend to follow oil price shocks. The nuclear-free world would deprive terrorists of an entire category of uniquely dangerous and therefore attractive targets to attack (fly planes into or steal plutonium from). Jeremy Leggett, Solar Century, UK delivers his vision of the future and the key role that renewables will undoubtedly play.

Monitoring the Sun's Violence

To radio astronomers the sun a very noisy object. It emits a bewildering variety of strong signals over a wide range of frequencies. Many of these signals are sharp outbursts generated by physical processes going on in the outer layers of the sun. Study of these radio outbursts yields information about the mechanisms of solar activity, the work has been difficult because the bursts are of very short duration-some only fractions of a second-and the locations of emission are hard to pinpoint. Now there evidence for a form of sol.ar burst activity lasting over several days, at least four or five and in some cases an entire solar revolution period of 27 days, that promises to make the study somewhat easier. The prolonged activity consists of storms of so-called Type III r.adio bursts, locations that repeatedly emit such bursts. The discovery was made with the Radio Astronomy Explorer satellite RAE-I and reported by Drs. Joseph Fainberg and Robert G. Stone of the National Aeronautics -and Space Administration. Type III bursts are defined by two characteristics: The first a quick rise and fall of the signal intensity, lasting a fraction of a second .at 100-megahertz frequency, 10 to 20 seconds at 1 megahertz. The second that if one watches a Type III burst over a range of frequencies, the peak intensity comes first at high frequencies and later at lower frequencies. Individual Type III bursts were noted and named at high frequencies. It was suspected that they might come in bunches or storms, this could not be proven until it was possible to observe at very low frequencies. The Explorer satellite observed the bursts at frequencies ranging from 0.2 megahertz to 5.4 megahertz. Waves of this range are reflected by the earth's ionosphere so only a satellite can observe them. Storms have been observed at decametric wavelengths (3 to 30 megahertz), says Dr. Fainberg, but it was difficult to know whether they were storms of Type III bursts or just (random) noise At the higher frequencies the duration of Type III bursts so short that they cannot be distinguished in the storms. Their greater duration at RAE frequencies allows individual bursts to be distinguished. The ability to identify the storms and follow them for days on end opens new possibilities in the study of mechanisms that produce Type III bursts and the characteristics of the solar regions in which they are generated. One important aspect, says Dr. Fainberg, is that it enables us to make detailed studies of the region of the corona between 10 and 100 solar from the center of the sun. (The solar radius determined by the visible disk; the corona extends a great distance beyond.) Since the earth 215 solar radii from the center 0 . 7=~~~~~~~~~~~~~.