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Solar Energy Applications: Thermal and Photovoltaic Opportunities and Challenges

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 1468

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Olivier Deblecker

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Guest Editor

Electrical Power Engineering Unit, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
Interests: energy; renewable energy; DC/DC converters; electric machines; smart grids

Prof. Dr. Khalil Kassmi

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Science, Department of Physics, Laboratory of Electromagnetic, Signal Processing & Renewable Energy LESPRE, Mohamed First University, Team Electronic Materials & Renewable Energy EMRE, Oujda 62000, Morocco
Interests: solar energy; thermal and photovoltaic systems; maximum power point tracking (MPPT); regulation and control; DC/DC and DC/AC power converters; energy storage systems; batteries; applications of solar energy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Solar energy, encompassing both photovoltaic (PV) and thermal technologies, has become a crucial aspect of the energy transition. In response to the growing scarcity of energy and the uncontrolled degradation of the environment, which manifests through wildfires and floods, solar energy applications are expanding across various sectors, offering ecological and sustainable solutions. This Special Issue explores the advances and challenges associated with the integration of solar energy systems (both thermal and PV) into key areas such as solar desalination, solar cooking, solar refrigeration, solar drying, and other vital sectors of society: the electrical grid, the transportation sector (automobiles, railway systems, etc.), and agriculture, particularly in solar irrigation systems, water pumping, and crop management.

The combination of photovoltaic and thermal systems with other renewable energy sources enables us to meet the growing demand for energy while reducing our environmental impact. In particular, energy storage systems play a fundamental role in ensuring the reliability and availability of these solutions, even in the absence of sunlight.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

Advanced photovoltaic and thermal system technologies;
Integration of energy storage in solar energy systems;
Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for optimal energy extraction in PV systems;
Solar desalination and solutions for access to drinking water;
Solar cooking and food preservation;
Solar refrigeration and solar drying;
Photovoltaic and thermal applications in transportation (automobiles, railway systems, aircraft, motorcycles, etc.);
Photovoltaic and thermal applications in agriculture (solar irrigation, water pumping, crop management);
Hybrid systems combining photovoltaics with other renewable energies;
Photovoltaic and thermal applications in off-grid systems and rural areas;
Innovations in materials and designs to enhance the performance of solar energy systems.

This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of recent advances in both photovoltaic and thermal solar energy applications and demonstrate their ability to transform various sectors while contributing to a reduction in our dependence on fossil fuels.

Prof. Dr. Olivier Deblecker
Prof. Dr. Khalil Kassmi
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

renewable energy
solar photovoltaic and thermal systems
energy storage systems
maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques
hybrid renewable energy systems
sustainable energy technologies
clean and sustainable energy solutions
applications: solar desalination technologies
solar cooking and food preservation
solar thermal refrigeration and drying
solar irrigation systems
off-grid and rural energy solutions
agriculture and solar energy
transportation and solar energy
solar power integration

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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13 pages, 6557 KB

Open AccessArticle

Soiling Dynamics and Cementation in Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules Under Arid Conditions: A One-Year Study in the Atacama Desert

by Abel Taquichiri, Douglas Olivares, Aitor Marzo, Felipe Valencia, Felipe M. Galleguillos-Madrid, Martin Gaete and Edward Fuentealba

Energies 2025, 18(18), 4999; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18184999 - 19 Sep 2025

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Abstract

Soiling is one of the main performance risks for bifacial photovoltaic (PV) technology, particularly in arid environments such as the Atacama Desert, where dust is deposited asymmetrically on the front and rear surfaces of the modules. This study evaluates one year (July 2022 to June 2023) of soiling behavior in bifacial modules installed in fixed-tilt and horizontal single-axis tracking (HSAT) configurations, enabling a comparison to be made between static and moving structures. The average dust accumulation was found to be 0.33 mg/cm² on the front surface and 0.15 mg/cm² on the rear surface of the fixed modules. In contrast, the respective values for the HSAT systems were found to be lower at 0.25 mg/cm² and 0.035 mg/cm². These differences resulted in performance losses of 5.8% for fixed modules and 3.7% for HSAT systems. Microstructural analysis revealed that wetting and drying cycles had formed dense, cemented layers on the front surface of fixed modules, whereas tracking modules exhibited looser deposits. Natural cleaning events, such as fog, dew and frost, only provided partial and temporary mitigation. These findings demonstrate that bifaciality introduces differentiated soiling dynamics between the front and rear surfaces, emphasizing the importance of tailored cleaning strategies and the integration of monitoring systems that consider bifacial gain as a key operational parameter. These insights are crucial for developing predictive models and cost-effective O&M strategies in large-scale bifacial PV deployments under desert conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Applications: Thermal and Photovoltaic Opportunities and Challenges)

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16 pages, 4391 KB

Open AccessArticle

Estimation of the Power Loss of a Soiled Photovoltaic Panel Using Image Analysis Techniques

by Francois Brunel, Ricardo López, Florencio García, Eduardo Peters and Gustavo Funes

Energies 2025, 18(18), 4889; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18184889 - 15 Sep 2025

Viewed by 555

Abstract

Soiling is one of the main problems of photovoltaic power. It is estimated that some areas could accumulate up to

0.6 %

of soil per day. This, along with the lack of rainfall in arid zones, produces a considerable energy loss. Soil detection [...] Read more.

Soiling is one of the main problems of photovoltaic power. It is estimated that some areas could accumulate up to

0.6 %

of soil per day. This, along with the lack of rainfall in arid zones, produces a considerable energy loss. Soil detection has been studied previously in the literature using artificial intelligence methods that require an extensive amount of images to train. Here, we propose an algorithmic approach that focuses on the characteristics of the images to discriminate different levels of soiling. Our method requires the construction of a soiling simulator to deposit layers of soil over a module while measuring the electric variables. From the datasets obtained, a calibration vector is established, which allows for the estimation of the power produced by the soiled panel from a captured image of it. We have found that the maximum error is approximately

3 %

when applying the model to images of its own dataset. The error then varies from

3 %

10 %

when determining power from another dataset and up to

10 %

when applying the model to an external dataset. We believe this work is a pioneer in the estimation of power produced by a soiled panel by examining only a picture. Full article