The History Of Solar Panels

Let s look at the longer than you think history of this critical energy source for our future.

The history of solar panels.

It s almost hard to believe it s taken us this long to turn solar panels into a mainstream technology but there have been a few twists and turns along the way. A pv module is an assembly of photo voltaic cells mounted in a framework for installation. But the story is much larger than just that. Since the year 1980 solar panel prices have dropped by at least 10 percent every single year.

Since the beginning of life on earth the sun has been the ultimate source of all energy. Today a solar panel can cost as little as 0 50 a watt. The history of solar panels can be described by becquerel s discovery of photovoltaic effect or the invention of first solar cell by chapin fuller and pearson in bell labs. Photo voltaic cells use sunlight as a source of energy and generate direct current electricity a collection of pv modules is called a pv panel and a system of panels is an array.

Elliot berman with help from exxon corporation designs a significantly less costly solar cell bringing price down from 100 a watt to 20 a watt. A brief history of solar panels inventors have been advancing solar technology for more than a century and a half and improvements in efficiency and aesthetics keep on coming. This featured an 8 story parabolic mirror. The term solar panel is used colloquially for a photo voltaic pv module.

The odeillo solar furnace located in odeillo france was constructed. Solar cells begin to power navigation warning lights and horns on many. The history of solar power is not as recent as some may think as the technology has existed since the 19th century and has received substantial government support since at least the 1970s. Despite vast amounts of subsidies solar power comprises less than 1 percent of us electricity generation.