Development Of The First Solar Panels

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.

Development of the first solar panels.

Courtesy of john perlin take a light step back to 1883 when new york inventor charles fritts created the first. However solar cells as we know them today are made with silicon not selenium. 1954 on april 25 1954 bell labs announces the invention of the first practical silicon solar cell. It was not until 1888 that the first solar cell was actually built by aleksandr stoletov.

Shortly afterwards they are shown at the national academy of science meeting. While working on the coating of platinum electrodes using silver chloride he discovered a rise in voltage on exposure to light. The development of solar cell technology or photovoltaic pv technology began during the industrial revolution when french physicist alexandre edmond becquerellar first demonstrated the photovoltaic effect or the ability of a solar cell to convert sunlight into electricity in 1839. 1954 photovoltaic technology is born in the united states when daryl chapin calvin fuller and gerald pearson develop the silicon photovoltaic pv cell at bell labs the first solar cell capable of converting enough of the sun s energy into power to run everyday electrical equipment.

Almost 50 years after the photovoltaic effect s discovery in 1883 american inventor charles fritz created the first working selenium solar cell 3though we use silicon in cells for modern solar panels this solar cell was a major precursor to the technology used today. These cells have about 6 efficiency. Therefore the credit for the invention of the modern solar panel cannot go to a single individual entity. It all started in 1839 with 19 year old physicist named edmond becquerel.

Therefore some consider the true invention of solar panels to be tied to daryl chapin calvin fuller and gerald pearson s creation of the silicon photovoltaic pv cell at bell labs in 1954.