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Open research questions in Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Systems

93 gap statements mined from Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Systems papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 1,600 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The manuscript claims that ZnO-water and MgO-water nanofluids have not been compared previously in PTSC applications.

    The Experimental Development of Solar Collector with Different Types of Nanofluid · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to dissipate PV power into heat using commercial positive temperature coefficient resistors. The challenge of achieving high thermal conductance between the PTC and the hot plate + pot. The need to avoid water-evaporation losses and ensure safe operation.

    Minimal Photovoltaic Solar Cooker for a Catalytic Effect on Energy Poverty · 2026 · DOI

  • The study does not provide a comprehensive evaluation of the technology in real-world environments. The experimental tests are limited to a concept and feasibility prototype (TRL 4). The study suggests that subsequent testing of a pre-series unit in field conditions would be necessary to complete the development.

    Minimal Photovoltaic Solar Cooker for a Catalytic Effect on Energy Poverty · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for more efficient solar collector systems. Prior work has not fully addressed the challenge of maintaining optimal thermal performance.

    Improved Performance Assessment of Photovoltaic Systems Using Paraffin-Based Phase Change Materials and Innovative Container Designs · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to balance generation gains, economic viability, and structural safety in balcony PV systems.

    Multidimensional Benefit Analysis of Balcony Photovoltaic Systems from a Dual-Carbon Perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • The study highlights the need for a numerical investigation into the effect of passageways and mass flow rates on the thermal performance.

    A Numerical Investigation into the Thermohydraulic Performance of a Spiral Triangle Solar Air Heater · 2026 · DOI

  • Conventional solar stills have limitations such as low productivity and poor heat retention. There is a need for sustainable and decentralized desalination technologies. The study addresses the gap by investigating an IoT-enabled solar water desalination system with active basin heating and glass surface cooling.

    IoT-Enabled Solar Water Desalination System with Active Basin Heating and Glass Surface Cooling for Enhanced Freshwater Production · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of techno-economic assessments of PV-TES-VRF systems for building cooling in tropical regions. The need for solar-powered air-conditioning systems that can reduce cooling costs and environmental impacts.

    A Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar-Powered Air-Conditioning Systems with Thermal Energy Storage for Cost Reduction in Tropical Regions · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited heat transfer efficiency of LHS systems. High costs associated with the development and implementation of advanced thermal energy storage systems. Technical challenges related to the integration of dish-Stirling technology with LHS systems.

    Hybrid solar power system using stirling engine and phase change material for energy storage: design, optimization and efficiency enhancement · 2026 · DOI

  • A unified design methodology that addresses building-relevant solar metrics, thermodynamic performance indicators, and robustness constraints remains limited. Prior works have focused on single architectures or isolated optical metrics, with limited consideration of thermodynamic relevance and long-term robustness.

    Multi-Objective Numerical Design of Phase-Change-Material-Enabled Tunable Solar Management Structures · 2026 · DOI

  • Future work will address these aspects to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of PTSC performance, along with sensitivity analysis of key geometric and operating parameters. Finally, the present study is limited to thermo-hydraulic performance analysis without second-law analyses including exergy and entropy generation.

    Computational heat transfer analysis of solar based energy systems via employment of numerical calculations and finite volume scheme · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to evaluate the environmental performance of solar-assisted heating systems under different auxiliary heat generation technologies. The existing body of research on solar-assisted heating systems lacks a comprehensive analysis of the impact of different auxiliary energy sources on overall sustainability.

    Auxiliary Energy Sources and CO₂ Emissions in Solar-Assisted Heating · 2026 · DOI

  • The high temperature of solar panels can reduce their efficiency. The lack of effective cooling systems can limit the potential of solar energy generation.

    Performance of Photovoltaics Panel Without Cooling and with Water Cooling · 2026 · DOI

  • High initial cost Requires large land area Performance affected by cloudy weather Complex tracking systems Maintenance of reflective surfaces IX.

    A Review on Parabolic Trough Collector for Solar Thermal Applications · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the impact of balcony PV systems in other climatic regions or varying latitudes.

    Multidimensional Benefit Analysis of Balcony Photovoltaic Systems from a Dual-Carbon Perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • The study aims to provide information for optimizing solar energy systems in the TR83 region of Turkey.

    Investigation of Exergy Potential of Solar Radiation for TR83 Region · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited generation capacity, transmission constraints, and frequent outages in sub-Saharan Africa.

    A Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar-Powered Air-Conditioning Systems with Thermal Energy Storage for Cost Reduction in Tropical Regions · 2026 · DOI

  • The study does not provide a detailed analysis of the system's economic viability. The experimental setup was limited to a specific location with high direct normal irradiance.

    Hybrid solar power system using stirling engine and phase change material for energy storage: design, optimization and efficiency enhancement · 2026 · DOI

  • Addressing the limitations of standardized testing, durability over time, and techno-economic and life-cycle considerations. Investigating the performance of evacuated-tube solar collectors in various applications.

    Performance improvements of solar evacuated tube collectors: a literature review · 2026 · DOI

  • Traditional concentrating systems have significant energy losses due to defocusing, scattering, and optical losses - Solar thermal technology generates electricity…

    LOCAL FRACTAL SOLAR THERMAL POWER STATION · 2026 · DOI

  • Experimental validation of the simulation results. Investigation of other Phase Change Materials and configurations. Development of more efficient PVT-PCM systems.

    Improved Performance Assessment of Photovoltaic Systems Using Paraffin-Based Phase Change Materials and Innovative Container Designs · 2026 · DOI

  • Future work should focus on optimising nanofluid concentration and composition, exploring advanced absorber geometries and phase change material (PCM) Experimental evaluation of SiO2–MWCNT/water hybrid nanofluids for sustainable cooling…

    Experimental evaluation of SiO2–MWCNT/water hybrid nanofluids for sustainable cooling of photovoltaic/thermal systems · 2026 · DOI

  • Explorar la viabilidad de la arquitectura de red propuesta mediante datos etiquetados de vuelo o de simulación de alta fidelidad. Desarrollar un prototipo del sistema para validar su funcionamiento en un entorno de vuelo real. Investigar la aplicación del sistema en diferentes tipos de misiones espaciales.

    SOLARMEMS · 2026 · DOI

  • La necesidad de desarrollar sistemas de navegación autónomos y eficientes energéticamente para pequeños satélites. La falta de una arquitectura integrada que combine sensores solares MEMS, rectennas inteligentes y inteligencia artificial.

    SOLARMEMS · 2026 · DOI

  • While the system shows great potential for eco-friendly milk pasteurization in remote areas, future studies should focus on integrating energy storage solutions to further minimize auxiliary heating demands and enhance operational cost-effectiveness under varying solar conditions, and also, a detailed life-cycle assessment (LCA) is recommended for future studies to accurately quantify the CO2 emission savings…

    Simulation and performance analysis of a solar-assisted venturi-plasma pasteurization system for milk · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Systems

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) There is a need for sustainable and decentralized desalination technologies (“IoT-Enabled Solar Water Desalination System with Active Basin Heating and Glass…”, 2026); (2) The lack of techno-economic assessments of PV-TES-VRF systems for building cooling in tropical regions (“A Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar-Powered Air-Conditioning Systems with…”, 2026); (3) A unified design methodology that addresses building-relevant solar metrics, thermodynamic performance indicators, and robustness constraints remains limited (“Multi-Objective Numerical Design of Phase-Change-Material-Enabled Tunable Solar…”, 2026); (4) Future work will address these aspects to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of PTSC performance, along with sensitivity analysis of key geometric and operating parameters (“Computational heat transfer analysis of solar based energy systems via…”, 2026); (5) There is a need to evaluate the environmental performance of solar-assisted heating systems under different auxiliary heat generation technologies (“Auxiliary Energy Sources and CO₂ Emissions in Solar-Assisted Heating”, 2026). 93 gap statements have been mined from Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Systems papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 1,600 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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