DOI: 

Optoelektron. napìvprovìd. teh. 61, 31-43 (2026)


K.M. Bozhko. 


CURRENT STATUS AND PROSPECTS OF SOLAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT (REVIEW) 


Renewable energy, in particular photovoltaics, is an important component of the modern world. The aim of this paper was to investigate the current state of solar power engineering, the structure of global solar panel production both by technologies and manufacturers, and to determine possibilities for extending their service lifetime.

The paper examines the main technologies and materials used in solar panel manufacturing. A comparison of the efficiencies of the major technologies is presented. It is shown that all key technologies can be divided into three classes: monocrystalline silicon (the so-called first generation), thin films (second generation), and emerging concepts (third generation). The first generation is represented by monocrystalline silicon, the second by CdTe and CIGS compounds, and the third by perovskites, perovskite–silicon tandems, and multijunction structures. A comparison of efficiencies for solar cells and modules indicates that the smallest efficiency gap between record solar cells and commercial panels is currently observed for two technologies: monocrystalline silicon and cadmium telluride. These two technologies are the most adapted to industrial production conditions.

It has been established that the main source of further reduction in the cost of solar electricity is extending the service lifetime of panels and reducing labor costs for their maintenance throughout their operational life. Therefore, a key research direction is solving engineering problems related to improving early diagnostics of panel degradation based on the detection of hidden defects in solar cells. The primary source of information about defects is the current–voltage (I–V) characteristic of a solar panel, which should be periodically measured throughout its lifetime. It is shown that despite China’s dominant position, Ukrainian scientists and engineers can claim their share of the global market, particularly in space solar power.

 

Keywords: solar panel, current–voltage characteristic, monocrystalline silicon, solar panel diagnostics, efficiency.