Increased installation of Solar Shingles. The market for solar cars moves to another level. ... Launch of solar road projects. ... Increased embracement of micro-inverter technology. ... More focus on solar storage.

2. Centuries of combusting fossil fuels to meet
the increasing electricity requirements have
placed the planet in a critical state, and if not
restrained, we will have to confront a graver
menace than Covid-19. Solar energy has
appeared to be a lifesaver for humankind and
the planet Earth. Solar power has been
determined as a viable countermeasure
strategy against increasing pollution and toxic
energy production methods. Because of the
coronavirus pandemic, solar installations were
at an all-time low, and the entire world
witnessed a drop in solar energy projects. It
was caused by several reasons, such as supply
chain failures, lockdown, etc. The new year has
brought new strength, and the trends
expected in 2021 are as follows:

3. INCREASED PROJECTS AND
INSTALLATIONS

4. The most assertive news for the solar market in
2020 was that the pandemic did not influence
the way people considered turning to solar
energy a good thing. Instead, people were now
more prepared to spend on solar power because
of its indisputable financial and environmental
advantages. The International Energy Agency
(IEA) projects an improvement of about 43% in
solar installations. The agency foresees the solar
projects to get more than 920 GW in capacity.
The reason for this development is that both the
authorities and the taxpayers are now ardent to
make use of the free power source available to
us.

5. IMPROVED SOLAR
MODULES EFFICIENCY

6. Solar inverters, which work with an efficiency of
more than 98% have been in use for quite a time
now. Comparatively, the effectiveness of solar
modules has improved quite slowly. The first solar
panel created in the 1960s was only 6% effective,
and the newest solar modules are up to 24%
efficient. The preceding year, where saw a
reduction in project installations, the
experimentation and innovation area also came
to a standstill. Expectedly, the PV companies
strive to design solar modules that have an
extraordinary electricity generation capacity, as
well as efficiency. The new goals expected to
accomplish in 2021 include a module with more
than 800W capacity and 28% efficiency.

7. MORE SOLAR CARS ON THE
ROAD

8. Pakistan may not be a part of it for now, but
experts predict that 2021 is going to have more
numerous solar cars on the streets than ever so
far. Solar cars are the transports that use PV
technology to power their locomotives and
move. The market is expected to see an increase
of 329.5 million dollars by 2023 which is around
43% of the current market. Increased concern for
the environment and the innovation in electric
cars that allows them to use solar energy has
prompted the forecast in the solar car market.

9. PAKISTAN AND CHINA TO
INVEST IN SOLAR ENERGY

10. The current representative of China to Pakistan, the Pakistani statesman for energy, and the Director CPEC
authority had a conference at the end of 2020, which signified the plans and partnerships in the energy
sector for 2021. The two countries aim to make enormous investments in the renewable energy sector,
peculiarly solar energy to reduce energy and environmental problems. The country may see expanded
expense from the government and China in solar energy, which determines it to be the right time to switch
to solar.

11. SOLAR ROADS PROJECTS
WILL BEGIN

12. We have included solar roads in our blog on the latest solar technology. The theory behind these plans is to use
asphalt and PV elements together to prepare a road that can sustain the burden of the cars and generate
electricity. Roads cover nearly 0.5% of the earth’s surface, and if the designs are successful, the new age of power
technology will mark its beginning from 2021. China has previously started its solar road project, where they are
constructing their first solar highway. The United States has also constructed a 70 Km solar road trial whose
evaluation is under process, and the officials are thinking of duplicating the project. The time is not far when the
solar roads will be the new normal.

13. MICRO INVERTERS WILL BE
MORE COMMON

14. The inverters that are commonly in use in
Pakistan are string inverters, which is a
remarkable technology but has been
outclassed by micro-inverter tech. By the end
of 2021, we expect that micro-inverters will
be more frequently available in Pakistan as
the technology is shifting from string to
micro tech. The process of transition will be
like the one that took place when mono
crystalline panels took over the market from
polycrystalline panels. Now every new
technology such as half-cell PERC is available
in monocrystalline modules, and in the same
way, new inverter technologies such as thin-
film will be available in micro inverters.

15. INCREASE IN JOBS AND
CAREER PATHS

16. One of the many setbacks of 2020 was
unemployment as numerous corporations
started downsizing because they could not
pay the same number of employees amid
Covid-19 as they used to in the pre-pandemic
situation. The increase expected in the
number of projects and solar installations in
2021 is also expected to create more jobs
and career opportunities. According to an
estimate from the International Renewable
Energy Agency (IRENA), each 1 million dollars
invested in renewable energy can create 25
jobs. It means that with more people
investing in the renewable energy sector, we
can also expect to overcome unemployment
to a certain extent in 2021.