The History Of Solar Panel

When people learned they could focus the sun s rays to create fire using glass.

The history of solar panel.

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. 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 history of solar panels hasn t begun as recently as most people think. In 1839 a nineteen year old by the name of alexandre edmond becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect.

When the first photovoltaic cells were invented it set a change in motion for energy production. But the story is much larger than just that. Young becuqerel had been inspired by his father who was also a scientist to study luminosity and electricity. 3 though we use silicon in cells for modern solar panels this solar cell was a major precursor to the technology used today.

Since the beginning of life on earth the sun has been the ultimate source of all energy. Almost 50 years after the photovoltaic effect s discovery in 1883 american inventor charles fritz created the first working selenium solar cell. This effect is the physical process through which a solar cell converts sunlight into electricity. This change would iterate over hundreds of years in the hands of various physicists and engineers.

That started to use the sun s rays to warm a room by placing large windows along. Charles fritts installed the first solar panels. In 1958 the vanguard i satellite used a tiny one watt panel to power its radios. It was the romans in the 1st 4th centuries a d.

Later that year the vanguard ii explorer iii and sputnik 3 were all launched with pv technology on board. The history of solar panels goes back further than you might think. One day bequerel was experimenting in his father s laboratory when he unintentionally discovered something incredible.