Development Of The First Solar Panels

In a way many physicists played a part in solar cell invention.

Development of the first solar panels.

Charles fritts installed the first solar panels on new york city rooftop in 1884. 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. These cells have about 6 efficiency. 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.

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. While working on the coating of platinum electrodes using silver chloride he discovered a rise in voltage on exposure to light. It was not until 1888 that the first solar cell was actually built by aleksandr stoletov. 1953 gerald pearson begins research into lithium silicon photovoltaic cells.

However solar cells as we know them today are made with silicon not selenium. Courtesy of john perlin take a light step back to 1883 when new york inventor charles fritts created the first. It all started in 1839 with 19 year old physicist named edmond becquerel. 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.

Therefore the credit for the invention of the modern solar panel cannot go to a single individual entity.