Solar energy : the energy of the future ?

Ten years ago, the industrial development of photovoltaics was in its infancy. Ten years on, photovoltaic energy has experienced exceptional growth, with nearly 300 GW of cumulative installed capacity worldwide, including 70 GW in 2016. Today, projections point to very large-scale development over the coming decades. In this lecture, we will analyze some of the remarkable scientific and technological advances that have made it possible to reach the current level, as well as some recent discoveries, such as perovkite cells, which will profoundly change the landscape of photovoltaic technologies in the years to come. In the light of these, we will examine the prospects for increased conversion efficiency, new materials and new architectures, which will characterize the solar cells of the future.