Methods to Harvest Solar Energy to Meet Society’s Energy Needs with Minimal Contribution to Global Warming

Solar energy harvesting is a rapidly advancing field, crucial for meeting the world’s growing energy demands while fostering environmental sustainability. Traditional silicon photovoltaic cells (SPVCs) and newer technologies such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), CIGS, organics, and perovskite-based panels are at the forefront of this transition. However, an important systems challenge remains under real operating conditions, only part of incident sunlight is converted to electricity, while a significant fraction becomes heat in the module due to thermalization, optical losses, resistive losses, and sub-bandgap transmission. This heat raises module temperature, can reduce electrical output, and is ultimately released into the surrounding environment unless it is captured and used. As solar deployment scales, improving thermal management and enabling beneficial use of this energy can increase total useful energy yield (electricity + useful heat) and support environmentally robust system design.This Research Topic aims to explore and advance methods for maximizing the societal benefits of solar energy while minimizing or capturing the associated waste heat that contributes to global warming. The objective is to critically assess hybrid solar technologies (including SPVC-SLAPE systems), enhanced energy conversion cycles, and innovative heat recapture solutions. A central goal is to evaluate approaches that transform surplus heat into productive outputs—such as additional AC/DC electricity and thermal energy—thus aligning solar energy expansion with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals without exacerbating climate change. Research in this area will address key questions regarding the technical and environmental feasibility of next-generation, waste-reducing solar power systems.The scope of this Research Topic covers interdisciplinary approaches to harvesting and utilizing solar energy with a specific focus on reducing global warming effects. Articles are expected to target strategies and designs that limit or repurpose waste heat generated by solar panels. To gather further insights into solar energy conversion and environmental mitigation, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Next-generation hybrid solar panel architectures (e.g., SPVC-SLAPE and other advanced composites)- Techniques for capturing and converting solar panel waste heat to useful forms- Quantification of thermal impacts and energy-balance implications of large-scale solar deployments using clear system boundaries and transparent metrics (e.g., operating temperature, heat flux, exergy efficiency, annual energy yield)- Development of novel heat engines and energy conversion devices for integrated solar systems- Benchmarks and efficiency metrics for minimizing environmental impact in solar technology applications Topic editors: Ibram Ganesh, Isabel M. Moreno-Garcia Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76331/methods-to-harvest-solar-energy-to-meet-societys-energy-needs-with-minimal-contribution-to-global-warming