Thus, in this chapter, various photovoltaic and photothermal solar cells will be discussed, emphasizing their design principles. In this article, we conduct an exhaustive technical and economic comparison of the main panel technologies available in 2026, analyze optimal use cases for each, and explore emerging technologies that could revolutionize the sector in the next 5 years. Taxonomy of photovoltaic technologies 2026. Additionally, next-generation bifacial solar panels, which capture sunlight from both sides using TOPcon cells, have gained traction, allowing for improved energy yield in various installation environments. Most panel manufacturers offer a range of models, including regular entry-level options and. In this study, photovoltaic panel evaluation approach is applied, which covers mechanical, electrical, environmental, economic, and customer-related criteria. And then, the comparative assessment of diverse photovoltaic panel brands is performed by using the AHP (The Analytical Hierarchy Process). This article presents a systematic review of optimization methods applied to enhance the performance of photovoltaic (PV) systems, with a focus on critical challenges such as system design and spatial layout, maximum power point tracking (MPPT), energy forecasting, fault diagnosis, and energy. There are two main approaches for developing solar cells, including photovoltaic and photothermal technologies. The Entropy method was used to determine the weight of eight criteria, including cost, number of.