Harnessing light: Solar energy for a low carbon future

Climate change, energy security and a looming energy gap are all driving research and development into clean, renewable energy supplies.  

By 2050 the world is facing a significant energy shortage; but by harnessing only a fraction of the sunlight that falls on the planet this gap could be met easily.  New technologies must not only improve the efficiency of energy generation from solar cells, but recover all the energy used in their manufacture in as short a time as possible.

Almost all the energy mankind uses comes in one way or another from photosynthesis, whether from fossil fuels or from biomass.  The amount of fossil fuels used by mankind in one year took over one million years to form.  Scientists, however, could mimic nature and create an artificial leaf to generate energy and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

An RSC policy seminar looked at the development of the field of photochemistry from Einstein's work in the early 20th century to modern technologies. There is a need for a range of scientists and engineers, with large investment from industry, to come together to solve the many challenges that remain in solar energy generation.