Research Special Report on Solar Power Generation

What is the contribution of solar energy to global electricity production?

While the contribution of solar energy to global electricity production remains generally low at 3.6%, it has firmly established itself among other renewable energy technologies, comprising nearly 31% of the total installed renewable energy capacity in 2022 (IRENA, 2023).

Does aggregation affect the intermittency of solar power generation?

The aim of this article is to address the fundamental scientific question on how the intermittency of solar power generation is affected by aggregation, which is of great interest in the wider power and energy community and would have profound impacts on the solar energy integration into the energy supply and Net-Zero Implementation.

Can NASA engage with global interest in space-based solar power (SBSP)?

This study evaluates the potential benefits, challenges, and options for NASA to engage with growing global interest in space-based solar power (SBSP).

How do we determine incident solar energy?

We then applied the solar constant (NASA, 2023) to determine the incident solar energy. Based on the power delivered, distance, and beam frequency from Mankins and Sasaki, Aerospace inferred the diameter of the ground rectenna receptor for each system.

How can a detailed analysis of solar investments help countries?

Detailed analysis of solar investments can help countries, policymakers, financial institutions, and decision-makers in understanding the current status as well as the trends in the solar investment landscape and guide them in making focused interventions to accelerate solar energy adoption and clean energy transition. 4.1. Global solar investments

What is the technical potential of solar power?

For solar power (solar PV and CSP), we updated the technical potential as the sum of 71 (utility-scale solar) and 72 (rooftop solar). We did not include a technical potential 57 for application of solar power on water (“floatovoltaics”), as this technology is still in early stages of development.