Development Of The First Solar Panels

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.

Development of the first solar panels.

In a way many physicists played a part in solar cell invention. However solar cells as we know them today are made with silicon not selenium. It was not until 1888 that the first solar cell was actually built by aleksandr stoletov. 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.

1953 gerald pearson begins research into lithium silicon photovoltaic cells. While working on the coating of platinum electrodes using silver chloride he discovered a rise in voltage on exposure to light. Therefore the credit for the invention of the modern solar panel cannot go to a single individual entity. 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.

Courtesy of john perlin take a light step back to 1883 when new york inventor charles fritts created the first. 1954 on april 25 1954 bell labs announces the invention of the first practical silicon solar cell. Charles fritts installed the first solar panels on new york city rooftop in 1884. Shortly afterwards they are shown at the national academy of science meeting.

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.