Integrating Solar Energy Into The Future Of Industrial Systems

Solar energy is increasingly central to the transition toward low-carbon and resilient industrial systems, providing renewable electricity and heat across a wide range of applications. Despite substantial progress in photovoltaic technologies, solar thermal systems, hybrid configurations, energy storage, and digital energy management, significant challenges remain in matching variable solar resources with the continuous and diverse energy demands of industry. Key questions concern how solar energy can be integrated cost-effectively into existing processes, how system performance can be improved under changing environmental conditions, and how technical, economic, and regulatory barriers can be addressed. Recent studies have demonstrated advances in high-efficiency solar cells, thermal collectors, heat pumps, solar fuels, storage technologies, and sector coupling. However, further investigation is needed to improve reliability, scalability, interoperability, lifecycle sustainability, and the integration of solar energy with industrial infrastructure and broader energy systems. This Research Topic will support interdisciplinary research addressing these gaps and advancing the role of solar energy in sustainable industrial development.This Research Topic aims to examine innovative approaches for generating, converting, storing, integrating, and managing solar energy for industrial and other demanding energy applications. It will explore how solar technologies can deliver reliable electricity, heat, cooling, fuels, and hybrid energy services while reducing emissions, resource consumption, and operational costs. Contributions may investigate technological performance, system integration, economic feasibility, environmental impacts, digital optimization, and policy frameworks. The Research Topic will also consider how solar energy systems can be adapted to different climates, industrial sectors, scales of operation, and levels of grid connectivity.To gather further insights into the development and integration of solar energy technologies for sustainable industrial and energy systems, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Advances in photovoltaic materials, devices, and system architectures- Solar thermal technologies for low-, medium-, and high-temperature applications- Hybrid photovoltaic-thermal and integrated solar energy systems- Solar energy integration into industrial processes and infrastructure- Thermal, electrical, chemical, and hybrid energy storage- Solar-powered heating, cooling, desalination, and water treatment- Solar fuels, hydrogen production, and power-to-X applications- Energy management, forecasting, and digital optimization of solar systems- Grid integration, microgrids, and sector coupling- Performance, reliability, and degradation under diverse operating conditions- Novel materials, coatings, and components for improved durability- Techno-economic analysis and lifecycle assessment- Circularity, recycling, and end-of-life management of solar technologies- Policy, financing, standardization, and regulatory frameworks- Demonstration projects, industrial case studies, and pathways to commercial deployment Topic editors: Hugo Gonçalves Silva, Ahmed ALAMI MERROUNI, Isabel Azevedo Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84320/integrating-solar-energy-into-the-future-of-industrial-systems