An International Journal Devoted to Photovoltaic, Photothermal, and Photochemical Solar Energy Conversion

Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells is intended as a vehicle for the dissemination of research results on materials science and technology related to photovoltaic, photothermal and photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion. Materials science is taken in the broadest possible sense and encompasses physics, chemistry, optics, materials fabrication and analysis for all types of materials.

Of particular interest are:

Solar Cells, covering single crystal, polycrystalline and amorphous materials utilising homojunctions and heterojunctions, Schottky barriers, liquid junctions and their applications. Also of interest is analysis of component materials, individual cells and complete systems, including their economic aspects.
Photothermal Devices, in the broadest sense, including solar absorber devices, heat storage materials, radiative cooling systems and their applications.
Photoelectrochemical and Photochemical Devices, covering photoelectrodes, photocatalysis, photoconversion and solar desalination systems and their applications.
Optical Properties of materials, including light trapping, texturising, solar concentrators which include imaging and non-imaging optical collectors.
Light Control, including systems for energy efficient architecture and daylighting, chromogenics and smart windows.

The pertinent issues are comprehensive and encompass bulk materials, coatings and thin films and surface treatments, from basic as well as from applications-oriented and manufacturing related perspectives.

Manuscripts of general interest not being suitable for Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells can be submitted to Refocus, which publishes magazine-style feature articles concerning all aspects of renewable energy. Please e-mail David Hopwood, Editor for further details (d.hopwood@elsevier.com) and visit http://www.re-focus.net.

Technical articles not specifically related to the materials aspects of Solar Energy conversion can be submitted to Solar Energy, the official journal of the International Solar Energy Society. For details, visit https://www.elsevier.com/locate/se-online.

This journal welcomes contributions that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals, in particular SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy)

Special Issue on The use of Artificial Intelligence for enhanced solar energy harvesting and thermal storage
Submission Date: 2026-01-30

This special issue in Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells will highlight the importance and usefulness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the field of solar energy. It will illustrate the many ways in which AI can be applied to enhance solar energy harvesting and thus speed up the energy transition towards sustainable energy harvesting.

Guest editors:

    Prof. Dr. Ivan Gordon, IMEC, Genk, Belgium;
    Dr. David Moser, Becquerel Institute, Trento, Italy;
    Prof. Dr. Wei Wu, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR;

Special issue information:

We are actively looking for manuscripts in the following topics:

List of eligible topics:

1. AI-Driven Materials Discovery and Design

    Machine learning and deep learning approaches for predicting novel photovoltaic materials
    Computational screening of new semiconductor materials for solar cell applications
    AI-assisted optimization of material compositions and structures
    Generative AI models for materials design in solar energy conversion

2. Advanced Computational Modeling and Simulation

    Artificial intelligence techniques for precise solar cell performance prediction
    Machine learning models for thermal and optical property optimization
    AI-enhanced thermal and photoelectric modeling of solar energy systems
    Quantum machine learning approaches in solar material characterization

3. Manufacturing and Process Optimization

    AI-driven process control in solar cell and photovoltaic module manufacturing
    Machine learning techniques for quality control and defect detection
    Predictive maintenance of solar energy production equipment
    Optimization of thin-film deposition and surface treatment processes using AI

4. Performance Prediction and System Design

    AI algorithms for solar energy system performance forecasting
    Machine learning approaches for solar resource assessment
    Intelligent optimization of solar panel placement and system configuration
    Predictive models for long-term solar energy system degradation

5. Photoelectrochemical and Photocatalytic Systems

    AI-assisted design of photoelectrodes
    Machine learning approaches for improving photocatalytic efficiency
    Intelligent optimization of solar desalination and solar fuel production systems
    Deep learning models for understanding and enhancing photoconversion mechanisms

6. Smart Windows and Optical Systems

    AI-driven design of chromogenic and smart window technologies
    Machine learning optimization of light-trapping and solar concentrator designs
    Intelligent control systems for energy-efficient architectural lighting
    Predictive models for optical property optimization

7. Economic and Sustainability Analysis

    AI models for lifecycle assessment of solar energy technologies
    Machine learning approaches to optimize economic viability of solar energy systems
    Predictive analytics for solar technology investment and market trends
    AI-driven sustainability impact assessment of solar energy materials and technologies

8. Interdisciplinary AI Methodologies

    Novel AI and machine learning algorithms specifically developed for solar energy research
    Integration of multi-modal data analysis in solar energy materials science
    Explainable AI techniques for solar energy material and system research
    Cross-disciplinary AI approaches bridging materials science, physics, and engineering

9. AI for thermal storage systems

    Develop machine learning models to predict and optimize the thermal performance of PCMs, enabling fast design of PCMs with higher energy density and faster thermal response times
    Investigate AI-based control algorithms for thermal storage systems, ensuring dynamic load balancing and energy efficiency under fluctuating energy demand
    Develop AI-based integration schemes for integrating thermal storage systems with renewable energy sources, focusing on maximizing energy flexibility and grid stability while minimizing carbon emissions

Manuscript submission information:

The journal’s submission platform Editorial Manager® is available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript and select the article type of "VSI: AI for Solar" when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: Guide for authors. 

Timeline:

Submissions close on 30 January 2026

Special Issue on Solar Hydrogen
Submission Date: 2026-02-28

Clean, green and sustainable energy is the need of the hour to address CO2 emissions and the overall impact on the environment. One such energy source is the hydrogen. Green hydrogen has the potential even to address the prominent sectors where emissions are heavy, like, the heavy-duty transport, heating, and power production. Among the green hydrogen technologies, Solar-to-hydrogen route is a promising path that harvest sunlight to produce hydrogen.Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells is bringing out a special issue on Solar Hydrogen production and related topics, with the aim of including it in the topics of interest for the journal. Research Laboratories and Industries are invited to submit their articles with the latest results to the Special Issue. For the guide to the Authors: Guide for authors - Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells) All articles will be Peer Reviewed as per the journal policy, under the supervision of the guest editors and overseeing editor. 

Topics proposed are:

    Photovoltaic-Electrochemical (PV-EC) Systems (including semiconductor-electrolyte interface, and materials)
    Photocatalysis: new and novel semiconductor based water-splitting materials and devices, single junction and tandem devices for water-splitting,
    Solar thermal and Thermochemical system to generate hydrogen: concentrated solar power to drive high-temperature reactions for hydrogen production.
    Photobiological Systems: natural photosynthesis of bacteria and algae to produce hydrogen.
    Solar hydrogen economics
    Any new and novel ideas on Solar driven hydrogen production, including PV-Hydrogen panels.

A limited number of review papers and invited articles will be included. Authors may opt for Open Access (as per the rules of Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells)

Hydrogen storage and transportation are beyond the scope of the special issue.

Guest editors:

    Dr. Caroline Sunyong Lee, Hanyang University, Republic of Korea; 
    Dr. Sudhanshu Shukla, Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC), Belgium;

Manuscript submission information:

The journal’s submission platform Editorial Manager® is available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue from 1 November 2025. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript and select the article type of "VSI: Solar Hydrogen" when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: Guide for authors. 

Timeline:

Submission open on 1 November 2025.
Submissions close on 28 February 2026.

Special Issue on Recycling of photovoltaic modules as part of a sustainable and circular technology
Submission Date: 2026-04-01

The recycling of photovoltaic (PV) modules has emerged as a topic of enormous relevance, driven by the urgent need to manage the decommissioning of millions of modules expected over the coming decades. As solar energy deployment accelerates globally, the end-of-life management of PV systems becomes a critical challenge for both environmental sustainability and resource recovery.This concern has sparked a vast amount of research and development (R&D) activities, diving into different routes and procedures to separate and recover the materials embedded in a PV module. With the cooperation of various disciplines, such as materials science, semiconductor physics, mechanical and chemical engineering and environmental policy, the goal is to support industrial initiatives that can make PV technology an example of a circular economy.
Aspects that should be taken into account when considering the potential of a proposed route to scale to industrial production are the diversity of source materials to be recycled, the throughput, the environmental impact of the solutions, and their cost-effectiveness, among others.

Guest editors:

    Prof. Carlos Del Cañizo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain;
    Prof. David Fuertes Marrón, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain;
    Prof. Araceli Rodríguez Rodríguez, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain;
    Prof. Eduardo Díez Alcántara, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain;

Special issue information:

This special issue will collect original papers and reviews to present the advanced research on the following topics:

    Innovative processes for the separation and disassembly of photovoltaic (PV) module components, including mechanical, thermal, chemical, and hybrid techniques.
    Technologies for the recovery and valorization of materials, such as glass, silicon, metals (e.g., silver, copper, aluminum), and polymers, with a focus on purity, reuse potential, and market value.
    Scalability and industrial feasibility of recycling processes, addressing challenges in upscaling from laboratory to pilot and commercial scale.
    Techno-economic analysis of recycling pathways, including cost modeling, economic viability, and comparison with conventional waste management approaches.
    Environmental impact assessment and sustainability metrics, including Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), carbon footprint, and resource efficiency.
    Design for recycling and circular economy strategies, exploring how PV module design can facilitate end-of-life management and material recovery.
    Regulatory, policy, and market frameworks influencing PV module recycling, including extended producer responsibility (EPR) and international best practices.

Manuscript submission information:

The journal’s submission platform Editorial Manager® will be available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue from 1 January 2026. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript and select the article type of "VSI: Recycling of PV modules" when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: Guide for authors. 

Timeline:

Submissions close on 1 April 2026