Photovoltaic technologies and applications in ongoing energy transition

Currently the leading globally overall installed renewable energy capacities are directed to the photovoltaic (PV) technologies. There is planned significant rise in installed photovoltaic capacities in upcoming decades and which is strongly supported by projections from major and relevant forecasting institutions and associations worldwide. Currently, the leading market available photovoltaic technology is based on the use of silicon, and which is the oldest, however the most reliable and the most used PV technology nowadays. They are ongoing efforts of the research community to develop novel and more efficient photovoltaic technologies, but in this stage, unfortunately, still they are not market available novel PV technologies that can compete with traditional silicon-based PVs. The critical issue for novel PV technologies is usually related to the techno-economic and environmental aspects. Beside development of the novel photovoltaic technologies, some other strategies could be also applied and that can bring improvement in energy conversion efficiency of PVs, as well as increase in their lifetime. One such strategy can be for example obtained by implementation of specific cooling techniques for photovoltaics. There are also efforts to further expand implementation of the silicon-based photovoltaics in the form of the floating photovoltaics, agrivoltaics, or in the form of the more advanced photovoltaic-thermal systems (PVT). When considering the overall ongoing and planned installed photovoltaic capacities and considering their lifetime, the recycling of photovoltaics becomes an issue that needs carefully to be approached. Moreover, the production processes of photovoltaics are also causing specific environmental footprints that also needs to be considered and minimized. The plenary lecture will tackle and discuss all previously mentioned issues and specific aspects related to the market available photovoltaic technologies.