Photovoltaic surfaces and the future of solar panels

Why is solar photovoltaic energy so successful?

The small but powerful photovoltaic panel which enabled the school calculator to switch on and perform the required operations is probably one of the first contacts people have with the capacity of sunlight to power our activities. In 1976, the Japanese Sharp EL-8026 became the first solar calculator, but not the first machine capable of working by making use of solar energy, since this way of generating energy had already been under study for a long time.

Since then, there has been continuous investment in photovoltaic technology to improve the panels, and drastically reduce their price which has made them accessible to the vast majority of people and made extraordinary increases in their energy efficiency also impressively which exceeded 47% by 2023. Currently, it is one of the most affordable sources of energy and with the greatest projection towards a more renewable future.

The future of photovoltaic solar panels

Given these figures, it is not surprising that there are parking meters, traffic signs and even cars with solar panels and that work is now in progress done to produce windows capable of producing energy for the entire building. Although the focus is still mainly on rooftops, because there you will find a broad surface to cover and they are the most efficient and the areas which people find least invasive.

In some parts of the world, such as North America, it is increasingly common for residential solar panels to be integrated into the roof, with solar cells that look like roof tiles. In the rest of the world, the aesthetics are even more basic and the panels are clearly visible as such.

We are used to seeing solar panels on buildings and houses. But in 2021, researchers at the University of Technology Sydney showed that a better solution to installing photovoltaic panels on flat roofs is to install them on green roofs, a combination which can reduce the local temperature and improve the efficiency of the panels.

Another interesting way to increase the efficiency of photovoltaic panels is to place them above water in ponds or water channels. This technique provides the advantage that the water evaporates less. It is estimated that 154 metropolitan areas throughout the world could achieve energy self-sufficiency if they installed floating photovoltaic panels above water reservoirs.

Photovoltaic cells can even be placed on top of some crops, as is the case of agrivoltaics, considered the energy of the future, since it enables the optimisation of land used for agricultural production by using it for the generation of electricity, thus reducing emissions of polluting gases in the sector which reduces the environmental impact. It is also ideal for protecting the biodiversity of the area, since shade preserves the humidity of the fields better. It also provides pasture for animals such as sheep and keeps them in the shade while grazing.

Photovoltaic energy even in places no one had thought about before

Any surface exposed to solar radiation, and even to that which is reflected off the atmosphere, is susceptible to being converted into a solar collector that helps the decarbonisation of the planet. That is why in the coming years it will be common to see bicycles with solar panels on top of the delivery box, and even cars, vans and motorhomes with solar panels.

As we start using up all the roofs, covers and certain flat vehicles, we will need to turn to more complex surfaces: Windows and other transparent objects or curved surfaces to be used for solar self-consumption. There is a clear trend and there is no doubt that as technology makes installation affordable, people will embrace this green, renewable, zero-emission source.