A personal perspective is given on the major results, themes and trends from the Faraday Discussion on emerging materials for solar energy technologies. This covers research progress into adamantine semiconductors, the narrowing divide between materials modelling and measurements of solar cells, as well as the control of defects in novel absorber materials that include Cu₂ZnSnS₄, Zn₃P₂, Se, GeSe, Sb₂Se₃ and BaZrS₃. This paper is adapted from a transcript of the closing lecture.