Brief history of solar power

What is the history of solar energy?

From the earliest days of solar-powered satellites to modern rooftop arrays and utility-scale solar farms, this is the complete history of solar energy—and a look at its exciting potential in the years to come. The story of solar energy begins in 1839 with the work of French physicist Edmond Becquerel.

When were solar panels invented?

Solar panels are one of humanity's greatest inventions, and their history is more fun than you thought. The first time anyone installed a photovoltaic solar panel was in 1884, when Charles Fritts assembled a billiard-table-sized array on a wooden frame, on a rooftop in New York City.

When was solar technology first used?

Some of the earliest uses of solar technology were actually in outer space, where solar was used to power satellites. In 1958, the Vanguard I satellite used a tiny one-watt panel to power its radios. Later that year, the Vanguard II, Explorer III, and Sputnik-3 were all launched with PV technology on board.

How did solar power become a success?

Take a look at the brief history of the key events that led to solar power becoming the success that it is today. While experimenting with metal electrodes and an acidic solution, nineteen-year-old French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel creates the first solar cell.

When did solar energy become a standard power system?

As NASA pushed further out into the solar system in the 1970s, photovoltaics became the standard power system for its spacecraft and remains so today. Back on Earth, solar energy technology continued to advance gradually through the mid-20th century but remained uncompetitive with cheap, readily available fossil fuels.

Who created the first solar building?

University of Delaware is credited with creating one of the first solar buildings, “Solar One,” in 1973. The construction ran on a combination of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic power. The building didn’t use solar panels; instead, solar was integrated into the rooftop.