Who invented solar energy? the history of solar power

Solar energy is a promising renewable energy source, harnessed directly from the sun. As the world faces climate change, pollution, and energy sustainability challenges, solar power has become a key player. The use of solar energy dates back to ancient civilizations, but it wasn't until the 19th and 20th centuries that it began to take shape into the form we recognize today—solar panels. This article delves into the history of solar energy, the individuals behind its invention, and the timeline of its commercialization and evolution.

Solar energy’s journey from ancient uses to modern technology is vital to understanding the global energy landscape. Solar panels are now common in homes, businesses, and space missions. However, the evolution of solar technology has been a long and complex process, driven by scientific discoveries and innovations. From early solar cells to modern photovoltaics (PV), solar energy has advanced, and its future promises greater advancements in efficiency and accessibility.

History of Solar Energy

Solar energy’s history begins not with modern technology but with nature. The sun has been an energy source for all life on Earth since the first photosynthetic organisms appeared about 2.3 billion years ago. These organisms harnessed solar energy through photosynthesis, producing oxygen and triggering the Great Oxygenation Event, which, while catastrophic for many species, laid the foundation for today’s life.

Early human use of solar energy dates back to ancient civilizations. By the 7th century BC, humans used magnifying glasses to start fires by focusing sunlight. The Greeks and Romans, in the 3rd century BC, used mirrors to concentrate the sun’s rays to light torches for rituals. Solar-powered “sunrooms”—which harnessed the sun’s heat—were also in some Roman buildings, especially bathhouses. These early examples laid the groundwork for more sophisticated techniques later.

By the 1700s, researchers began to explore solar energy. Scientists and inventors experimented with solar ovens and steam engines. However, it wasn’t until the late 19th century that using sunlight to generate electricity advanced significantly.

Who invented solar energy?

The invention of solar panels resulted from several scientists’ work over the years. The first breakthrough came in 1839, when French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect, finding that certain materials produced an electric current when exposed to light. This phenomenon became the foundation for solar cell technology.

In 1873, English engineer Willoughby Smith discovered that selenium could conduct electricity when exposed to light, a crucial step in solar cell development. In 1876, two English scientists, William Grylls Adams and Richard Evans Day, demonstrated that selenium could create electricity from sunlight.

The first functional solar cell was developed in 1883 by American inventor Charles Fritts, who used selenium coated with gold. This early solar cell was inefficient, converting less than 1% of sunlight into electricity, but marked the first instance of a device generating electricity from sunlight.

The breakthrough in solar technology came in 1954 at Bell Laboratories. Scientists Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson developed the first practical silicon solar cell, converting sunlight into electricity with about 4% efficiency. Although inefficient by modern standards, it was the first solar cell capable of powering a small device.

How did solar power get commercialized?

The commercialization of solar power took decades after the first solar cells were developed. While solar panels were initially used in experimental and space applications, they were too expensive for widespread use on Earth. The first major use of solar power was in outer space. In 1958, the Vanguard 1 satellite was launched with a small solar panel to power its systems, marking the beginning of solar technology’s use in space.

The turning point for solar energy commercialization came in the 1970s during the global oil crisis. The rise in oil prices and concerns about environmental sustainability led to interest in alternative energy sources, including solar power. Governments funded solar energy research, and the first solar-powered homes and buildings were constructed. In 1973, the University of Delaware built the first solar-powered building, Solar One, using solar thermal and photovoltaic energy, marking a significant milestone in integrating solar technology into buildings.

By the late 1970s and early 1980s, solar power began to gain traction in residential applications. The cost of solar panels, previously prohibitively expensive, began to fall due to technological advancements and economies of scale. Incentive programs and subsidies from governments, especially in the United States, Europe, and Japan, helped make solar energy more affordable.

Timeline of solar energy development

• 1839: At 19, French scientist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel creates the world’s first photovoltaic cell in his father’s laboratory. His studies on light and electricity lay the foundation for future advancements. The Becquerel Prize, awarded by the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, honors his contributions.
• 1861: French mathematician and physicist Auguste Mouchout patents a solar-powered motor, an early solar energy innovation.

1873: Electrical engineer Willoughby Smith discovers the photovoltaic effect in selenium, crucial for solar cell development.

1876: W.G. Adams, a professor at King's College, London, discovers the change in selenium's electrical resistance due to light, radiant heat, or chemical actions.

1882: Inventor Abel Pifre builds a “solar engine” that generates enough electricity to power a solar printing press, showcased in the Tuileries Gardens, Paris.

1883: Charles Fritts develops the first solar cell using selenium coated with gold, though it has less than 1% efficiency in converting solar radiation to electricity.

1883: John Ericsson invents a “sun motor” using parabolic trough construction (PTC), a technique still used in solar thermal power stations.

1884: Charles Fritts installs the first solar panels on a rooftop in New York City.

1903: Entrepreneur Aubrey Eneas starts the Solar Motor Company, marketing solar-powered steam engines for irrigation projects, though the company eventually fails.

1912-1913: Engineer Frank Shuman builds the world’s first solar thermal power plant using PTC through his Sun Power Company.

1888: Wilhelm Hallwachs, a physicist, describes the physics behind photovoltaic cells in the Hallwachs effect.

1905: Albert Einstein publishes “On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light,” explaining how light creates an electric current by knocking electrons out of certain metals.

1916: Chemist Jan Czochralski invents a method for creating single metal crystals, foundational for producing semiconductor wafers used in solar cells.

1917: Albert Einstein provides a theoretical foundation for photovoltaics, proposing that light can be modeled as discrete packets (photons) that carry energy.

1929: Physicist Gilbert Lewis coins the term "photons" for Einstein's energy packets.

1941: Russell Ohl of Bell Laboratories files a patent for the first monocrystalline silicon solar cell.

1947: The concept of passive solar houses becomes popular due to post-war energy shortages.

1951: Germanium solar cells are constructed, marking a milestone in solar technology.

1954: Bell Laboratories develops the first efficient silicon solar cell, generating electricity at about 4% efficiency.

1955: The first solar-powered telephone call is made.

1956: General Electric introduces the first solar-powered radio operating day and night.

1958: Vanguard I becomes the first spacecraft powered by solar panels.

1960: A solar-panel-roof car with a 72-volt battery drives around London, England.

1961: The United Nations holds a conference on using solar energy in developing countries.

1962: Telstar, the first solar-powered communications satellite, is powered by 3,600 cells from Bell Laboratories.

1967: The Soviet Union’s Soyuz 1 becomes the first solar-powered spacecraft to carry humans.

1972: The solar-powered Synchronar 2100 watch is introduced.

1973: The Arab oil embargo drives oil prices up by 300%, spurring interest in alternative energy sources like solar power.

1973: Solar One, a solar-powered building built by the University of Delaware, becomes the first building powered entirely by solar energy.

1974: The Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act mandates solar energy use in federal buildings.

1974: The International Energy Agency (IEA) is formed to study and forecast global energy markets.

1974: The U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) is established to commercialize solar energy.

1977: Congress founded the Solar Energy Research Institute (now National Renewable Energy Laboratory).

1977: World photovoltaic cell production exceeds 500 kW.

1978: The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) establishes net metering for utilities to buy electricity from renewable sources.

1978: The Energy Tax Act creates incentives for solar system purchases, including the Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

1979: The Iranian Revolution disrupts oil exports, driving prices higher and increasing interest in solar power.

1979: U.S. President Jimmy Carter installs solar panels on the White House roof, removed by President Ronald Reagan years later.

1981: The world’s first concentrating PV system starts operation, funded by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

1981: The Solar Challenger becomes the world’s first solar-powered aircraft capable of long-distance flight.

1981: The U.S. Department of Energy completes the Solar One solar thermal pilot project in California.

1982: The first large-scale solar farm is built near Hesperia, California.

1982: The Sacramento Municipal Utility District commissions its first solar electricity-generating facility.

1985: University of New South Wales creates 20% efficient silicon cells.

1985: Lithium-ion batteries, now used to store solar energy, are developed.

1991: The first lithium-ion batteries reach commercial production.

1992: Congress makes the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) permanent.

2000: Germany introduces a feed-in-tariff program, spurring the global solar industry.

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