Contributions of Photovoltaic Generation in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

In the search for energy sustainability the photovoltaic solar energy (PV) has stood out as a solution to promote the sustainable development of the sector. As PV technology expands, there is a need for studies that evaluate how this new market affects the search for environmental, social and economic sustainability. Following an interdisciplinary approach, and based on the epistemological paradigm of Design Science, the aim of the present study was to survey the contributions of distributed photovoltaic generation to achieving each of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To this end, the state of the art on the topic was characterized through a systematic literature review – SLR. Subsidized by SLR and supported by the basic literature on the subject, a descriptive table was prepared about the contributions of PV generation to achieving each of the SDG. Next, the relevance of the contributions made to achieving each SDG was quantitatively assessed. It was identified that PV generation contributes to the achievement of all SDGs, with this contribution having greater or lesser relevance depending on the SDG considered. PV generation was also found to be intrinsic relevance to achieving SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 13 – Climate Action. This study presents a step towards a better eco-socio-economic understanding of PV generation in order to contribute to the advancement of this technology and decision-making in the sector.