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Advances in Photovoltaic Technologies and Sustainable Energy Solutions
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Advances in Photovoltaic Technologies and Sustainable Energy Solutions

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 2732

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Abdul Hai Al-Alami

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
Interests: mechanical energy storage; compressed air energy storage; third generation photovoltaics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the continued global effort in mitigating the dependence on a singular energy source, solar photovoltaic devices have been presenting a dependable alternative for decades. From conventional first-generation silicon cells to perovskites and tandem cells, research and development in this area confirm the central position of solar photovoltaic devices in the global energy mix. This Special Issue focuses on the latest advances and trends in solar photovoltaic technologies, material synthesis deposition and characterization and new device design and modeling. Improvements in device efficiency as well as price/kW are occurring at an ever-increasing pace, and research and development efforts offer significant insights on these important trends. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, photovoltaic materials, device design, electrode selection, the replacement of hazardous materials, manufacturing technologies, additive manufacturing roles, device simulation, device testing, circular economy, novel materials, etc.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to disseminate cutting-edge research on solar photovoltaics and the best environmentally conscientious practices in manufacturing, testing and constructing a working device.

Prof. Dr. Abdul Hai Al-Alami
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

  • third-generation photovoltaics
  • tandem solar cells
  • solar photovoltaic materials

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1905 KB  
Article
Flexible Copper Mesh Electrodes with One-Step Ball-Milled TiO2 for High-Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
by Adnan Alashkar, Taleb Ibrahim and Abdul Hai Alami
Sustainability 2025, 17(21), 9478; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219478 - 24 Oct 2025
Viewed by 310
Abstract
Advancements in flexible, low-cost, and recyclable alternatives to transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are critical challenges in the sustainability of third-generation solar cells. This work introduces a copper mesh-based transparent electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells, replacing conventional fluorine doped-tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass to simultaneously [...] Read more.
Advancements in flexible, low-cost, and recyclable alternatives to transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are critical challenges in the sustainability of third-generation solar cells. This work introduces a copper mesh-based transparent electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells, replacing conventional fluorine doped-tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass to simultaneously reduce spectral reflection losses, enhance mechanical flexibility, and enable material recyclability. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) photoanodes were synthesized and directly deposited onto the mesh via a single-step, low-energy ball milling process, which eliminates TiO2 paste preparation and high-temperature annealing while reducing fabrication time from over three hours to 30 min. Structural and surface analyses confirmed the deposition of high-purity anatase-phase TiO2 with strong adhesion to the mesh branches, enabling improved dye loading and electron injection pathways. Optical studies revealed higher visible light absorption for the copper mesh compared to FTO in the visible range, further enhanced upon TiO2 and Ru-based dye deposition. Electrochemical measurements showed that TiO2/Cu mesh electrodes exhibited significantly higher photocurrent densities and faster photo response rates than bare Cu mesh, with dye-sensitized Cu mesh achieving the lowest charge transfer resistance in impedance analysis. Techno–economic and sustainability assessments revealed a decrease of 7.8% in cost and 82% in CO2 emissions associated with the fabrication of electrodes as compared to conventional TCO electrodes. The synergy between high conductivity, transparency, mechanical durability, and a scalable, recyclable fabrication route positions this architecture as a strong candidate for next-generation dye-sensitized solar modules that are both flexible and sustainable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photovoltaic Technologies and Sustainable Energy Solutions)
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25 pages, 3538 KB  
Article
Photovoltaic System Performance Under Partial Shading Conditions: Insight into the Roles of Bypass Diode Numbers and Inverter Efficiency Curve
by Hatice Gül Sezgin-Ugranlı
Sustainability 2025, 17(10), 4626; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104626 - 18 May 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1724
Abstract
Partial shading is a common challenge influencing the performance of photovoltaic (PV) systems, particularly in urban and residential applications. A practical solution to mitigate hotspot formation due to shading is the use of bypass diodes. Increasing the number of bypass diodes further enhances [...] Read more.
Partial shading is a common challenge influencing the performance of photovoltaic (PV) systems, particularly in urban and residential applications. A practical solution to mitigate hotspot formation due to shading is the use of bypass diodes. Increasing the number of bypass diodes further enhances PV system performance but alters the global maximum power points (MPPs), shifting their voltage locations and power magnitudes, consequently resulting in a change in the operating points in the efficiency curve of the inverters. This study investigates the impact of bypass diode numbers and inverter efficiency curves on PV system performance under various partial shading conditions. The analysis systematically deals with three inverters with different efficiency characteristics in terms of loading and input voltage, as well as module configurations with different numbers of bypass diodes. Additionally, three more factors—ambient temperature, inverter loading ratio by varying the number of series-connected PV modules, and shading intensity—are considered in the context of bypass diodes and inverter characteristics through the efficiency curve. The global MPPs of PV modules under different cases are simulated using a Simscape/Simulink-based circuit model with random irradiance samples. The results indicate the formation of bands according to the voltage that vary with bypass diode configurations. In this manner, utilizing the probabilities of these bands and inverter efficiency curves, the average PV system performance is determined for each case. The findings reveal the effects of the relationship between bypass diode configurations and inverter efficiency on PV system performance. As partial shading is especially common in dense urban areas, the results are of interest for the development of resilient and sustainable PV installations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photovoltaic Technologies and Sustainable Energy Solutions)
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