Discover the future of solar energy

At its annual forum, World Economic announced that “by 2030, solar energy could become the most important energy source for electricity and heat production in much of the world.” So, while solar energy remains marginal in the global energy mix, we are forced to note that it is growing exponentially and worldwide. Indeed, solar energy seems to be the great energy of the future due to its many advantages: renewable, inexhaustible, universal and accessible to all.

At present, the share of solar energy or even the share of renewables in the energy mix is still low compared to fossil fuels.  However, the growing share of renewable energies is undeniable and is explained, in particular, by the collective awareness of common action to fight the climate challenge, but also by political positions such as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda by the European Union in favour of the use of renewable energies. Among renewable energies, solar energy is very promising due to its numerous advantages and the response it offers to the climate challenge.

“Year after year, we set consecutive records in the renewable energy sector. In fact, renewable energy has made fantastic progress. They outperform all other fuels in terms of growth and competitiveness. (…) But progress in the electricity sector is only a small part of the equation. Not changing the entire energy system is to be blind to reality,” warns Rana Adib, Executive Director of REN21.

In fact, to think of energy only in terms of electricity is to forget an important part of what constitutes total energy demand. According to the report The State of the World’s Renewables in 2020, prepared jointly by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), heat represents more than 50% of the total energy we consume in the world,  three times more than electricity.

Currently, most of the use of renewable energy is in the electricity sector, where it continues to grow rapidly. One of the main reasons for the low penetration of renewables in thermal end-uses is the lack of supportive policies in these sectors.

Therefore, it is necessary for decarbonisation plans to develop sustainable and zero-emission renewable heat production systems and electricity production systems. According to the same report: PV boost masks major lag in heating, cooling and transport sectors. It would be short-sighted to celebrate the progress of the PV sector without acknowledging the alarming low and slow uptake of renewables in the heating, cooling and transport sectors. The use of electricity, for example for lighting, household appliances and industrial equipment, only accounts for 17% of the world’s final energy demand, while heating, cooling and transport account for up to 83% of the energy we consume. The share of renewables in heating and cooling is low (10.1%) and hardly increasing, although this sector represents more than half of total energy demand.

If we want to achieve a global energy transition, to meet the ambitious 2050 targets set by COP21, we need to produce energy from renewable sources, but more specifically we need to bring together 3 key attributes. Firstly, we need an efficient system: we need a system that can generate renewable energy and convert it, as efficiently as possible, into useful energy ready for consumption. But also, a system that is scalable on a large scale, i.e. practical and simple to implement in the manufacturing, installation and end-use process: with global energy consumption so widespread around the world for different uses, we need a system that, regardless of location, type of consumption or even the financial means available, can be easily implemented and provide power directly. Therefore, it is not only necessary to increase the percentage of different renewable energies for centralized electricity generation, but also to decentralise generation and produce where it is consumed. In this way we avoid losses of electrical distribution, and we can also produce heat for self-consumption. Finally, we need a profitable system: this means that we must not only produce more energy, but we must do so at the lowest possible cost. So we need a renewable energy system that is efficient, scalable, and profitable.

The future is therefore in the hands of solar technology, but we will see that not all of them give the same response. Let’s start with photovoltaic technology: we know that it is a solar technology that, thanks to the photovoltaic cells that make it up, absorbs solar energy and converts it into electricity, and only electricity. However, as we mentioned earlier, talking only about electricity for energy and decarbonization is not a sufficient response, as it only addresses 17% of the problem. In addition, it is a double blow for photovoltaics with global warming. In fact, solar energy production by photovoltaics will be affected by global warming, as the performance of its cells decreases with heat, as indicated by the MIT report on the performance of photovoltaics in the face of rising temperatures. If we now move on to the solar thermal panel, the response offered is also only partial, as it only produces hot water. To have a complete response, you will need to invest in a solution that includes photovoltaic and thermal panels, while the available installation area is usually not enough to accommodate both technologies and therefore produce the energy corresponding to your consumption.

Finally, hybrid solar panels combine the production of both types of solar energy – solar heat and solar electricity – in a single collector, resulting in a higher yield per area. This is especially important if the available roof area is limited, but the concept of integrated solar energy is necessary to achieve climate-neutral energy production for consumers, such as in residential and commercial buildings.