Roadmap on established and emerging photovoltaics for sustainable energy conversion
Authors: Blakesley James C , Bonilla Ruy S , Freitag Marina , Ganose Alex M , Gasparini Nicola , Kaienburg Pascal , Koutsourakis George , Major Jonathan D , Nelson Jenny , Noel Nakita K , Roose Bart , Yun Jae Sung , Aliwell Simon , Altermatt Pietro P , Ameri Tayebeh , Andrei Virgil , Armin Ardalan , Bagnis Diego , Baker Jenny , Beath Hamish , Bellanger Mathieu , Berrouard Philippe , Blumberger Jochen , Boden Stuart A , Bronstein Hugo , Carnie Matthew J , Case Chris , Castro Fernando A , Chang Yi-Ming , Chao Elmer , Clarke Tracey M , Cooke Graeme , Docampo Pablo , Durose Ken , Durrant James R , Filip Marina R , Friend Richard H , Frost Jarvist M , Gibson Elizabeth A , Gillett Alexander J , Goddard Pooja , Habisreutinger Severin N , Heeney Martin , Hendsbee Arthur D , Hirst Louise C , Islam M Saiful , Jayawardena K D G Imalka , Johnston Michael B , Kauer Matthias , Kettle Jeff , Kim Ji-Seon , Lamb Dan , Lidzey David , Lim Jihoo , MacKenzie Roderick , Mason Nigel , McCulloch Iain , McKenna Keith P , Meier Sebastian B , Meredith Paul , Morse Graham , Murphy John D , Nicklin Chris , Ortega-Arriaga Paloma , Osterberg Thomas , Patel Jay B , Peaker Anthony , Riede Moritz , Rush Martyn , Ryan James W , Scanlon David O , Skabara Peter J , So Franky , Snaith Henry J , Steier Ludmilla , Thiesbrummel Jarla , Troisi Alessandro , Underwood Craig , Walzer Karsten , Watson Trystan , Walls J Michael , Walsh Aron , Whalley Lucy D , Winchester Benedict , Stranks Samuel D , Hoye Robert L Z 
Published: August 2024

Photovoltaics (PVs) are a critical technology for curbing growing levels of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and meeting increases in future demand for low-carbon electricity. In order to fulfill ambitions for net-zero carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) emissions worldwide, the global cumulative capacity of solar PVs must increase by an order of magnitude from 0.9 TWp in 2021 to 8.5 TWp by 2050 according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, which is considered to be a highly conservative estimate. In 2020, the Henry Royce Institute brought together the UK PV community to discuss the critical technological and infrastructure challenges that need to be overcome to address the vast challenges in accelerating PV deployment. Herein, we examine the key developments in the global community, especially the progress made in the field since this earlier roadmap, bringing together experts primarily from the UK across the breadth of the PVs community. The focus is both on the challenges in improving the efficiency, stability and levelized cost of electricity of current technologies for utility-scale PVs, as well as the fundamental questions in novel technologies that can have a significant impact on emerging markets, such as indoor PVs, space PVs, and agrivoltaics. We discuss challenges in advanced metrology and computational tools, as well as the growing synergies between PVs and solar fuels, and offer a perspective on the environmental sustainability of the PV industry. Through this roadmap, we emphasize promising pathways forward in both the short- and long-term, and for communities working on technologies across a range of maturity levels to learn from each other.