Abstract Renewable energy sources, including solar photovoltaics (PV), are viewed as a clean and sustainable answer to the urgent problems of climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels. The process of converting incident sunlight energy into electrical energy is known as solar photovoltaic technology. The initial generation of solar cells were made from silicon. More advancements are required, according to research, for solar cells to operate more efficiently and absorb more of the sunlight that strikes them. To address these issues, amorphous silicon solar cells and thin film technologies were further developed. From first-generation solar cells to dye-sensitized solar cells, quantum dot solar cells, and some more current technologies, we have examined a gradual progression in solar cell technology in this review. The potential for these many generations of solar cell technologies to establish themselves is also discussed in this article. With minimal to no negative environmental effects both locally and internationally, solar energy has the potential to be used as a source of energy for transportation, distributed heat and power generation, and energy storage systems.