Another Frenchman, Auguste Mouchout, invented the first motor to be powered by solar energy way back in the 1860's .

In 1883, Charles Fritz turned the sun's rays into electricity!

Interest slowed down in the early part of the 20th century, though interest in a solar-powered civilization never completely disappeared.

It was around this time, in fact, that a certain Albert Einstein was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in physics for his research on the photoelectric effect.

In 1953, Bell Laboratories scientists Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin and Calvin Fuller developed the first silicon solar cell capable of generating a measurable electric current.

The 1970s brought hope that through massive investment in initiatives and research, solar pv costs would drop dramatically, allowing it to become competitive with fossil fuels.

However, it hasn't been until recently and due to major governmental initiatives of Germany and Japan that the solar industry has started to take off. With attractive rebates for homeowners, the governments of these countries have made solar power easily accessible to the masses.

You can have a top-of-the-range solar installation relatively cheaply these days. The cost is really having it installed. If you're good with DIY, you could fit your own. Click here for more information.

The solar photovoltaic energy market is currently growing at a whopping 30 percent per year.

Meanwhile, solar thermal water heating is an increasingly cost-effective means of lowering gas and electricity demand.

As you’ve seen, technologies have changed and improved for decades. Still, the basics of solar thermal and photovoltaics have remained the same.

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