Back In Time to Solar Power's History

What's the story behind solar panels? How were they invented? Keep reading to find out.

Have you ever thought of going back in time? See how they lived, what they ate, and what the wore? Well in this blog you'll go back in time and see the history of solar power. Who discovered it? What's the story of solar panels, and how it became so popular?

“ Solar energy is bound to be in our future. There's a kind of inevitability about it."-Jim Inhofe

The History Of Solar Power

It started back in 1876, William Grylls Adams and a student of his Richard Day. They found out that when selenium was unprotected to light, it made electricity. The selenium was unprotected to light, it made electricity. The selenium cells weren't powerful, but it was proved that light, could be converted into electricity. The bonus, is it could make electricity without heating or moving parts!

In 1953, Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson, and Daryl Chapin all discovered the silicon solar cell. The solar cell produced enough electricity, and was powerful enough to run small electrical devices. In 1956, the first solar cells were available commercially. However the cost was far too expensive. It was $300 for one watt solar cell. In the early 1970's they discovered away to lower the price of the solar cells. The price was brought down from $100 per watt to around $20 per watt.

The Present

Today we see solar cells, or solar panels in a variety of places. For example, you may see solar power car. Solar powered street lamps, satellites, and chargers. There are even solar powered homes, schools, buildings, malls, and stadiums. Since the cost of the solar power is in everyone's budget, solar power has never been so popular!