Sustainable Energy Development: Reviewing Carbon Emission Reduction in Photovoltaic Power Systems

As a driving force of sustainable energy development, photovoltaic power is instrumental in diminishing greenhouse gas emissions and is vital for achieving our targets for a sustainable energy future. Therefore, a systematic review of carbon emission reduction in photovoltaic power systems (CERPPS) is very important for a deeper understanding and advancing the development in this field. This study leverages the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection as a primary database and applies VOSviewer and CiteSpace tools to perform a bibliometric analysis of publications related to CERPPS, spanning from 2006 to June 2024. This study has elucidated the research progress from both a quantitative and visual perspective and delineated the evolution of research hotspots. Analysis of the results is done on the basis of annual publications, authorship, institutional affiliations, national origins, journal publications, references, and keywords. The analysis indicates that recycling, the large-scale deployment of photovoltaic modules, energy storage management within photovoltaic power systems, and large-scale deployment of photovoltaic power systems are hot topics. Future research trends encompass the study of new photovoltaic materials, life cycle assessment and recycling, and the development of smart photovoltaic power systems. This study provides an overview of the evolution of CERPPS’s main research directions, which establishes a reference framework for scholars to get a deeper insight into the most recent advancements and research outlooks within CERPPS, and also fosters the advancement of photovoltaic power systems towards a more low-carbon and sustainable trajectory.