Conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity
This article is about the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity. For a broader range of human uses for sunlight, see Solar energy. For the unit of light from stars and galaxies, see Solar luminosity.
For other uses, see Solar Power.
Rooftop solar in Hong Kong
The first three concentrated solar power (CSP) units of Spain's Solnova Solar Power Station in the foreground, with the PS10 and PS20 solar power towers in the background
Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect to convert light into an electric current.[2] Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight to a hot spot, often to drive a steam turbine.
Photovoltaics (PV) were initially solely used as a source of electricity for small and medium-sized applications, from the calculator powered by a single solar cell to remote homes powered by an off-grid rooftop PV system. Commercial concentrated solar power plants were first developed in the 1980s. Since then, as the cost of solar panels has fallen, grid-connected solar PV systems' capacity and production has doubled about every three years. Three-quarters of new generation capacity is solar,[3] with both millions of rooftop installations and gigawatt-scale photovoltaic power stations continuing to be built.
In 2023, solar power systems generated 5% of the world's electricity,[4] compared to 1% in 2015, when the Paris Agreement to limit climate change was signed.[5] Along with onshore wind, in most countries, the cheapest levelised cost of electricity for new installations is utility-scale solar.[6][7]
Almost half the solar power installed in 2022 was rooftop.[8] Much more low-carbon power is needed for electrification and to limit climate change.[3] The International Energy Agency said in 2022 that more effort was needed for grid integration and the mitigation of policy, regulation and financing challenges.[9]
^"Global Solar Atlas". globalsolaratlas.info. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
^"Energy Sources: Solar". Department of Energy. Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
^ abGabbatiss, Josh (12 January 2024). "Analysis: World will add enough renewables in five years to power US and Canada". Carbon Brief. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
^"Global Electricity Review 2022". Ember. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
^"2023 Levelized Cost Of Energy+". Lazard. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
^"Executive summary – Renewable Energy Market Update – Analysis". IEA. June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
^Norman, Will (13 June 2023). "Through the roof: 49.5% of world's PV additions were rooftop in 2022 – SolarPower Europe". PV Tech. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
^"Solar PV – Analysis". IEA. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
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significant solarpower capacity into their electrical grids to supplement or provide an alternative to conventional energy sources. Solarpower plants use...
system, also called a PV system or solarpower system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solarpower by means of photovoltaics. It consists...
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photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, solar farm, or solarpower plant, is a large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power system (PV...
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electric power production. Two categories include Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) for fulfilling heat requirements in industries, and Concentrated Solar Power...
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