This article provides a literature review of the current state of solar power generation and its potential as a sustainable source of energy.
What is the future of solar energy?
It is predicted that by 2020, demand will increase to 158,055 GWh. This increase in demand is expected to be met entirely by renewable energy sources; solar photovoltaic energy is predicted to account for approximately 14,316 GWh of this total.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar PV capacity increased by over 270 TWh in 2022, reaching a total of 1300 TWh globally. Declining costs, supportive policies, and rising demand for renewable energy were the driving forces behind this growth.
Power generation from solar PV increased by a record 270 TWh in 2022, up by 26% on 2021. Solar PV accounted for 4.5% of total global electricity generation, and it remains the third largest renewable electricity technology behind hydropower and wind.
Wind and solar developers often bring their projects on line at the end of the calendar year. So, the new capacity tends to affect generation growth trends for the following year. Solar is the fastest-growing renewable source because of the larger capacity additions and favorable tax credits policies.
Utilizing numerous technologies, various nations around the world have been able to produce solar PV power and increase energy storage capacity, leading to a total solar power production of 308 GW in 2016 .
What is a high penetration scenario for renewable power generation?
Figure 5 shows renewable power generation under a high penetration scenario . In this scenario, wind power will contribute 5350 billion kWh, solar power will contribute 4130 billion kWh, and biomass power will contribute 1100 billion kWh.