The History of Solar Energy
People have been harnessing the sun’s energy for millennia. From starting fires, to religious Roman ceremonies, to telling time, the sun has been used by man for a variety of helpful resources. But when did people realize that the sun could be used for much more?
The more modern use of solar energy started in 1839 when French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered that an electric current is produced when exposed to light or radiant energy (this is known as the photovoltaic effect). Becquerel’s work was then built on by mathematician Augustin Mouchot, who began developing patents for solar engines in the 1860s.
However, it wasn’t until 1883 that the modern solar panel was created. Developed by New York inventor Charles Fritts, he crafted the first solar cell by coating selenium (which, fun fact, is commonly found in nuts, meat, and eggs) with a thin layer of gold. This early model was not nearly as effective at converting solar energy as contemporary ones-- it only had a rate of 1 to 2%, whereas new ones are roughly 25%. After this there were several different versions of enhanced solar cells patented and made, such as the one by Edward Weston in 1888.
While this was all happening, another scientist, Aleksandr Stoletov, was developing the same solar cell technology, but with the photoelectric effect. This effect is very similar to the one that Becquerel discovered, it just focuses on electricity from non-visible light rather than sunlight. It was this type of electricity method that went into the first solar panels that were installed in homes in 1889.
It was then in the 1950s that Darryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson at Bell Laboratories invented the first silicon solar cell, which increased its effectiveness to over 6%. They then concluded that by having multiple cells grouped together and all converting their energy towards one outlet, it made it much more useful for buildings. From there, solar energy was used in construction projects at the University of Delaware and research into it expanding the technology commenced in the 1970s thanks to the Solar Energy Research Bill.
In the past four decades, there has been a huge development in the use and integration of solar energy into our everyday lives. From powering homes, to supporting composting trash cans, to being used in portable chargers, solar has become the most efficient and eco-friendly energy resource for the modern world.
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Written by Megan Carver | September 25, 2020