Solar and bioenergy technologies for achieving SDG 7 in decarbonized energy systems

Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) is to ensure sustainable and modern energy for all at affordable price, and this involves a fast transition towards low carbon energy systems. In the vast array of renewable energy technologies, solar power and bioenergy stand out as significant players in the global decarbonization movement because of their complementary characteristics and high resource availability. To explore the role of solar and bioenergy in facilitating low-carbon, sustainable energy transitions, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken. Solar energy demonstrates considerable scalability potential, with decreasing installation costs and minimal production emissions supporting its continued expansion as a clean energy source. However, the intermittent nature of solar energy poses challenges to ensuring continuous power supply and maintaining grid stability. In contrast, bioenergy offers ‘dispatchable’ energy, capable of generating electricity as needed through the utilization of biomass and waste materials and aligns with agri-ecological principles when integrated with biomass and waste. Nonetheless, challenges persist regarding feedstock, land use, and the long-term sustainability of biomass and biomass feedstock. Both solar and bioenergy present distinct constraints and advantages. Consequently, the combined application of solar energy and bioenergy, tailored to context-specific energy system applications, can significantly enhance energy access, reliability, and sustainability, which are fundamental to achieving SDG 7.