Solar Energy Journal

Solar Energy Journal
Title	Solar Energy Journal
Discipline	Renewable energy; Photovoltaics; Solar thermal
Abbreviation	Sol. Energy
Publisher	Elsevier
Country	Netherlands
History	1957–present
Frequency	Monthly
Impact	8.3 (example)
Issn	0038-092X

Solar Energy Journal

Solar Energy Journal is a peer-reviewed scientific periodical covering research on conversion of solar radiation into usable energy. The journal publishes original research, reviews, and technical notes spanning theory, materials, and systems related to photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, and solar thermal technologies. It serves as a forum connecting researchers from institutions, companies, and laboratories worldwide.

History

The journal was established in 1957 amid postwar advances at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and California Institute of Technology, paralleling developments at Bell Labs, Sandia National Laboratories, and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Early contributors included researchers affiliated with National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Royal Society, and Fraunhofer Society. During the 1970s energy crises, articles referenced work from International Energy Agency collaborations and policy discussions involving United States Department of Energy and European Commission programs. The editorial leadership has featured figures who held posts at Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and ETH Zurich. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s the journal reflected breakthroughs from groups at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tsinghua University, and Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and reported advances from startups spun out of University of California, Berkeley, University of New South Wales, and Delft University of Technology. The journal has chronicled milestones connected to awards such as the Nobel Prize-winning photovoltaics work and innovations recognized by the European Inventor Award.

Scope and Topics

The journal covers experimental and theoretical studies from materials science to system integration, drawing submissions from authors at National Institute of Standards and Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and industry groups such as First Solar, SunPower, and Tesla, Inc.. Topic areas include thin-film technologies with roots at Bell Labs and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, perovskite research influenced by teams at University of Oxford and University of Toronto, and concentrated solar power developments linked to projects at Abengoa, ACWA Power, and BrightSource Energy. The journal also publishes work on modeling methods used by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, grid-integration studies referencing California Independent System Operator and National Grid (UK), and lifecycle assessments informed by datasets from United Nations Environment Programme and International Renewable Energy Agency.

Editorial Structure and Peer Review

The editorial board has historically comprised editors and associate editors from institutions such as Princeton University, Yale University, University of Michigan, University of Tokyo, and Seoul National University. Peer review follows single- or double-blind processes similar to practices at Nature Publishing Group journals and editorial policies aligned with standards from Committee on Publication Ethics. Manuscript handling workflows integrate submission systems used by Elsevier and require declarations regarding conflicts connected to entities like Shell plc or BP. Special-issue guest editors have been drawn from research centers including Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative, Paul Scherrer Institute, and Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major services and databases including Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Citation Index Expanded. It appears in bibliographic resources used by libraries at Harvard University, University of California system, and University of Oxford. Citation metrics are tracked by providers such as Clarivate Analytics and Elsevier's Scopus and are reported in analytics used by funding agencies like Horizon Europe and National Science Foundation.

Publication and Access Model

Published by Elsevier, the journal operates a subscription model with hybrid open-access options reflective of transitions seen across publishers including Springer, Wiley, and Taylor & Francis. Authors may choose gold open access under fee arrangements similar to policies at PLOS and comply with funder mandates from Wellcome Trust, UK Research and Innovation, and European Research Council. Institutional subscriptions are managed through consortia such as Research Libraries UK and agreements referencing frameworks negotiated with Association of American Universities and SPARC.

Impact and Reception

The journal has been cited widely in policy documents from International Renewable Energy Agency and technical roadmaps by International Energy Agency. Its articles inform standards developed by organizations like International Electrotechnical Commission and American Society for Testing and Materials. Practitioners at companies such as Siemens, GE Renewable Energy, and Vestas have cited findings, while academic citation networks link contributors from Columbia University, McGill University, and University of Sydney. The journal's influence is reflected in citations in reports by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and technology assessments by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

Notable contributions include seminal papers on crystalline silicon efficiency improvements from groups at Kyocera, heterojunction concepts developed with input from Panasonic Corporation, and landmark perovskite stability studies involving teams from University of Bath and University of Cambridge. Special issues have focused on themes tied to events such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the SolarPACES Conference, and workshops organized by European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference. Guest-edited collections have highlighted cross-cutting work involving collaborators from Helmholtz Association, Max Planck Society, and CSIRO.

Category:Energy journals