Quo Vadis Solar Energy Research?

Abstract

In this paper, solar energy research trends and their publishing evolution are presented in terms of bibliometric analysis tools applied to the existing publications within the Web of Science Core Collection. Publishing evolution shows a clear interest in solar energy topics, as 50% of the total number of publications have been published within the time period between 2015 and 2020; most of them at journals and conference proceedings. A results analysis shows that China, the United States and India were the most productive countries in terms of solar energy research publications, and the list of the 10 most productive countries accounted for 83% of total publications within 2019 and 2020. The study pointed out as well that the main thematic areas in solar energy research in 2019–2020 were related to particular topics such as solar cells and optical properties, nanoparticles and composites, TiO2 and photocatalysis, and more general topics such as performance, simulations optimization and renewable energy. Based on paper findings, the research future of solar energy is bright, with continued growth in the publications record and a wide variety of research topics.

Optimal Integration of Photovoltaic Sources in Distribution Networks for Daily Energy Losses Minimization Using the Vortex Search Algorithm

“…As a first step, by multiplying the initial radius by Equation (12), this solution space is expanded to obtain complete coverage. The set of neighboring solutions obtained and contained in C t i (x), verified within the algorithm and taking into account the lower and upper limits set in µ 0 , are defined by Equation (11).…”

“…where rand is a function that generates a random number between 1 and 0 with a normal distribution; after it verifies the limits, at this point, the exploiter stage comes into operation. It selects the most optimal response within the solution space of C t i obtained in (11) so that it is the new center µ of the hyper-ellipsoid [35].…”

“…Furthermore, the characteristic demand curve of the distribution networks is presented in this study. Due to the growing interest in solar energy for its benefits to the clear contribution of the trimming of CO2, in recent years, there has been an increase in research regarding this renewable energy, which focuses on issues associated with optimization, performance, and solar systems cells, among others, as mentioned in [11]. It means that the field of application of solar energy includes a wide variety of energy solutions, such as carrying out studies to reduce power and energy losses that integrate energy sources of renewable generation.…”

Hybrid Floating Solar Plant Designs: A Review

“…(c) PV system: Floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems, which are made up of single or multiple crystalline-based photovoltaic (PV) modules [59] mounted on a buoyant platform, are typically intended to be arranged in an array on the surface of a closed body of water. In an FPV system, solar energy is converted into electrical energy using PV modules and other power conditioning equipment [60].…”

System-Independent Irradiance Sensorless ANN-Based MPPT for Photovoltaic Systems in Electric Vehicles

“…Half of those publications appeared between 2015 and 2020. This work has allowed a significant reduction in costs by introducing new materials and better technology [4]. As a result, the broad integration of photovoltaic (PV) generation in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors drastically decreased their CO 2 emissions [5].…”