Publication of the opening lecture by Professor Daniel Lincot

Daniel Lincot

Photovoltaic solar energy and the energy transition

" Solar energy is the basis not only of the energy used by mankind, but also of what we eat, and of the forests and plains that surround us. We are made and live on sunlight. "

The Earth is bathed in an ocean of energy, that of sunlight. Extraterrestrial in nature, and unlimited on our scale, this energy escapes the finiteness of terrestrial resources. Since the dawn of time, it has fuelled mankind's dreams of universal, peaceful use. Photovoltaic conversion, thanks to solar cells, enables the direct transformation of photon energy into electricity for the first time in history. From its discovery in 1839 to its current rapid expansion, this opening lecture traces the history of its long scientific, technological and social development. Anticipated as the future pillar of the energy transition, solar energy makes it possible to envisage the transition from a destructive Anthropocene to a restorative Heliocene.

Lincot D., Énergie solaire photovoltaïque et transition énergétique, Paris, Collège de France/Fayard, coll. " Leçons inaugurales du Collège de France ", ^no 308, septembre 2022, 80  p.

ISBN : 978-2-213-72213-9
Price :12  €
Publication : September28  2022

Emeritus researcher at the CNRS, Daniel Lincot studies the interface between chemistry and photovoltaics. He is visiting professor on the annual Technological Innovation Liliane Bettencourt Chair at the Collège de France, created with the support of the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller, for the academic year 2021-2022.