Advancing Solar Energy: Development and Challenges in Photovoltaic Systems

Energies | Special Issue: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems: Prospect Development and Challenges

This special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073) is dedicated to the section “A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems.” The deadline for manuscript submissions is 30 June 2026.

Special Issue Editors

• Dr. Georgios E. Arnaoutakis
  Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 710 04 Heraklion, Greece
  Interests: solar cells and PV systems; concentrated solar power (CSP); optical materials and photonics; solar energy conversion

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid increase in global energy consumption presents significant challenges, including energy shortages and environmental pollution. The depletion of fossil fuel resources and their harmful environmental effects are major obstacles to sustainable development worldwide. Solar energy technologies provide a viable, low-cost, and sustainable solution to these challenges, supporting the transition to renewable energy sources.

To address the energy needs of society, it is crucial to develop affordable and efficient solar energy systems. This Special Issue, titled “Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems: Prospect Development and Challenges,” aims to advance the technologies and methods related to solar energy applications. It encompasses original research and studies on topics such as:

• Solar cells and materials
• Solar thermal systems
• Photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems

Particular interest is placed on modeling techniques and experimental results related to modern photovoltaic and concentrated solar power technologies. We welcome innovative one-sun or geometrical concentrating configurations, including the integration of thin films with novel spectral converters and/or filters. Additionally, system integration of solar technologies based on open-source dynamic modeling and operational data from existing solar energy systems is encouraged to facilitate the energy transition and overcome technical, financial, and social barriers.

I invite you to submit your original research to this Special Issue. Selected papers will undergo a rigorous peer review process to ensure rapid and widespread dissemination of research findings and applications.

Topics of Interest

Topics for publication include, but are not limited to:

• Modern photovoltaic and concentrating solar power technologies
• Novel photovoltaic/thermal configurations
• Thin films integrated with spectral converters and/or filters
• Solar system integration using open-source dynamic modeling
• Analysis of annual operation data from implemented solar energy systems
• Systems supporting the energy transition to overcome various barriers

Dr. Georgios E. Arnaoutakis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging into the website. All submissions that pass the pre-check will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal as soon as they are accepted and will be listed together on the special issue website. We invite research articles, review articles, and short communications.

For planned papers, authors can submit a title and brief abstract (approximately 100 words) to the Editorial Office for announcement on the website. Please ensure that submitted manuscripts have not been previously published and are not under consideration elsewhere, with the exception of conference proceedings papers. All manuscripts will be thoroughly reviewed through a single-blind peer-review process.

For submission guidelines, please refer to the Instructions for Authors page. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open-access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs).

Submitted papers should be well-formatted and written in clear English. Authors may use MDPI’s English editing service prior to submission or during revisions.

Keywords

• Solar cells and PV systems
• Concentrated solar power (CSP)
• Optical materials and photonics
• Solar energy conversion

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For more information on MDPI’s Special Issue policies, please refer to the website.

This summary provides an overview of the upcoming Special Issue in Energies, including submission details and areas of interest for researchers in solar energy and photovoltaic systems.