Abstract

The growing pressure to meet energy demands while reducing environmental impacts has placed solar and photo-energy systems at the center of global sustainability discussions. Over the past decade, these technologies have moved beyond experimental stages and are now widely adopted across diverse landscapes. This mini-review reflects on the current status of solar and photo-energy systems, their relevance to sustainable land-use planning and their contribution to climate-smart development. It also discusses practical challenges that continue to limit large-scale deployment and highlights future directions for research and policy support.

Keywords: Solar energy; Photo-energy; Renewable systems; Sustainability; Climate change