The History Of The Solar Panel

3 though we use silicon in cells for modern solar panels this solar cell was a major precursor to the technology used today.

The history of the solar panel.

When people learned they could focus the sun s rays to create fire using glass. Young becuqerel had been inspired by his father who was also a scientist to study luminosity and electricity. One day bequerel was experimenting in his father s laboratory when he unintentionally discovered something incredible. Almost 50 years after the photovoltaic effect s discovery in 1883 american inventor charles fritz created the first working selenium solar cell.

The origins of solar panels the origins of solar panels can be traced all the way to the 7th century b c. When the first photovoltaic cells were invented it set a change in motion for energy production. It was not until 1888 that the first solar cell was actually built by aleksandr stoletov. But the story is much larger than just that.

The history of solar panels hasn t begun as recently as most people think. Later that year the vanguard ii explorer iii and sputnik 3 were all launched with pv technology on board. The true history of solar panels began in 1839 with a young french scientist named alexandre edmond becquerel. Its history spans from the 7th century b c.

From france to the u s inventors were inspired by the patents of the mathematician and filed for patents on solar powered devices as early as 1888. The first huge step in solar panel technology came when alexandre becquerel observed the photovoltaic effect in 1839 which occurs when a material produces electric current when exposed to light. It was the romans in the 1st 4th centuries a d. This change would iterate over hundreds of years in the hands of various physicists and engineers.

In a way many physicists played a part in solar cell invention. Charles fritts installed the first solar panels. In 1958 the vanguard i satellite used a tiny one watt panel to power its radios. Solar panels in outer space some of the earliest uses of solar technology were actually in outer space where solar was used to power satellites.

The history of solar energy is a quite fascinating story of innovation and progress. Since the beginning of life on earth the sun has been the ultimate source of all energy. The history of solar solar technology isn t new.