The History of Solar Energy

Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect, where exposure to light generates voltage or electric currents in a material.

Williams Grylls Adams and Richard Evans Day determined that selenium produces electricity when exposed light. This discovery proved that we could create electricity from sunlight.

Charles Fritts created the first solar cell using selenium painted with a thin layer of gold. It was installed on his roof in New York City. The solar cell didn't convert energy as efficiently as modern ones do, but it was still a significant step toward the innovative solar technology we have today!

Heinrich Hertz found that the photoelectric effect, where light frees electrons from the surface of a solid to create power, was more effective with ultraviolet light than with visible light.

Researchers at Bell Laboratories demonstrated that silicon is more efficient than selenium at converting solar energy into usable power. This discovery led to the creation of solar cells large enough to power electrical equipment. These panels were about 6% efficient at converting energy from the sun into electricity.

Interest in solar energy increased when it was used to power the radios of the space satellite, Vanguard I.

Over the decades, the capabilities of solar technology has continued to advance and the concept of solar power for homes and businesses has become more mainstream. Now, most modern day solar panels operate at an efficiency of around 20%.