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Solar energy is available in the form of heat and light. Sun emits solar energy at the rate of 3.8 × 10²³ kilowatt (kW), from this enormous amount of energy approximately 1.8 × 10¹⁴ kW is obstructed by the Earth (Panwar et al. 2011). Worldwide energy requirements can be achieved by utilizing solar energy due to its adequate and free availability. Further, this source of energy is inexhaustible in nature, and output efficiency is also becoming better constantly due to various researches done in the field of photovoltaics. Factors on which harnessing of solar energy depends are its distribution and intensity of radiations, and hence, the efficiency of the solar industry becomes dependent on geographical location of a country (Panwar et al. 2011). Considering the distribution of solar radiation worldwide, it can be clearly understood that Asian countries receive the maximum radiations as compared with the rest of the world. Further, IRENA report 2020 (IRENA 2020b) published that Asian countries continued to dominate the global solar capacity expansion with a 56 GW increase (about 60% of the global expansion in 2019).

Exercising solar energy has dual results as it fulfils the energy demand and does not disturb the ecosystem contrary to the exploitation of fossil fuels. Further, applicability of solar energy is not different for rural and urban due to its easy installation and hence can be easily utilized with the same ease and equal efficiency.

Solar–thermodynamic power plants or concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) and solar photovoltaic (PV) are the two main technologies that can be practically used to transform solar energy into electric power. Nowadays, solar heaters are also becoming very popular which consume heat from the sun to directly increase the temperature of a fluid.