Affordable and Clean
Energy
Sustainability– Scientific Innovations in Renewable energy
technologies(solar cells, hydrogen fuel, batteries).
Introduction to
Sustainable
Development Goal - 7
Goal 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy --Affordable and Clean Energy focuses on
addressing the global energy challenge by
providing access to reliable, sustainable,
and affordable energy for all Sustainable
energy is a critical enabler and dramatically
improves the quality, accessibility and
reliability of services that children rely on
for their survival, development and wellbeing. It recognizes the importance of
energy in powering economic
development, improving living standards,
and mitigating climate change. This SDG
seeks to accelerate the transition to clean
energy sources and enhance energy
efficiency to ensure a sustainable and
resilient energy future.
Physics and Chemistry drive innovations
in solar cells, hydrogen fuel, and batteries,
making renewable energy more efficient,
scalable, and cost-effective.
Innovations
1.Solar Cells(Photovoltaics):
A solar cell, also known as a photovoltaic cell (PV cell), is an electronic device
that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by means of
the photovoltaic effect. Individual solar cell devices are often the electrical
building blocks of photovoltaic modules, known colloquially as "solar panels".
Emerging technology in the industry : Perovskite Tandem Technology Combining traditional silicon cells with perovskite layers, Perovskites absorb
different light wavelengths more efficiently. This dual-layer approach not only
boosts efficiency and electricity generation — it also charges the future of the
solar industry with new possibilities.
Impact : Perovskite Solar Cells – up to 33% efficiency (Oxford PV, 2023)
🏭 India’s Bhadla Solar Park – world's largest solar park (~2.25
GW)
Data :IRENA: Solar PV electricity cost dropped 89% (2010-2022), partly
due to efficiency gains.
Innovations
2.Battery Technologies(Lithium-ion, Solid-state, Lithium-sulfur):
LITHIUM-ION - A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible intercalation of
Li+ ions into electronically conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are characterized by higher specific
energy, energy density, and energy efficiency and a longer cycle life and calendar life than other types of rechargeable
batteries. Li-ion batteries have enabled portable consumer electronics, laptop computers, cellular phones, and electric
cars.
SOLID-STATE - A solid-state battery (SSB) is an electrical battery that uses a solid electrolyte (solectro) to conduct
ions between the electrodes, instead of the liquid or gel polymer electrolytes found in conventional batteries.[1] Solidstate batteries theoretically offer much higher energy density than the typical lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries.
LITHIUM-SULFUR(Li-S)– The lithium–sulphur battery (Li–S battery) is a type of rechargeable
battery. It is notable for its high specific energy. The low atomic weight of lithium and
moderate atomic weight of sulfur means that Li–S batteries are relatively light. These batteries
promise 3x energy density of Li-ion.
LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE BATTERY- The lithium iron phosphate battery (LiFePO4 battery) or LFP
IMPACT : Tesla’s 4680 battery cells – higher range & efficiency
battery (lithium ferrophosphate) is a type of lithium-ion battery using lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4
battery) as thde cathode material, and a graphitic carbon electrode with a metallic backing as
the anode.
QuantumScape ships 24-layer solid-state prototypes to automakers.
Lyten is focusing on using its 3D graphene material as a substrate for the sulfur cathode in Li-S batteries.
The BYD blade battery is a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery for electric vehicles.
Innovations
3.Hydrogen Fuel:
Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a
fuel cell, produces only water. The hydrogen reacts with oxygen across an electrochemical cell— similar to a battery—to produce
electricity, water, and small amounts of heat. Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of domestic resources, such as natural gas,
nuclear power, biomass, and renewable power like solar and wind. Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell,
produces only water
Fuel for Vehicles : Hydrogen is classified as an alternative vehicle fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
The interest in hydrogen as an alternative transportation fuel stems primarily from its potential to power fuel
cells in zero-emission vehicles (vehicles with no emissions of air pollutants). A fuel cell may be two to three
times more efficient than an internal combustion engine running on gasoline.
Impact : Toyota Mirai & Hyundai NEXO – hydrogen-powered cars
ZeroAvia ✈️ – hydrogen-electric aircraft in trial flights
ITM Power (UK) deploys 24 MW PEM electrolyzers in Germany 9.
Hysata (Australia) achieves 95% efficiency with capillary-fed electrolysis 7.
Data: IEA: Electrolyzer capacity doubled in 2023
Zero carbon emissions at the point of use
Conclusion
In Conclusion the journey
toward sustainability is no
longer a distant goal—it is a
scientific mission that unfolds
today. the breakthroughs
in perovskite solar cells, green
hydrogen, and next-gen
batteries are not just scientific
achievements—they
are humanity’s toolkit for
survival. They are enabling a
shift towards a sustainable,
low-carbon future. These
innovations help achieve SDG
7 by making clean energy
affordable, accessible, and
scalable.
References
en.wikipedia.org
data.unicef.org
nrel.gov
closethegapfoundation.org
greenlancer.com
oxfordpv.com
hanwha.com
lightsourcebp.com
insideevs.com
batterymaking.com
evlithium.com
eia.gov(U.S Energy Information and Administrator)
neware.net
link.springer.com
energy.gov(U.S Department of Energy)
chat.deepseek.com
By Mokshith Reddy
Grade: AS Level / 11AB
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