Solar Power History

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It was in 1838 that the photoelectric effect was discovered by physicist Edmund Becquerel.

The earliest known record in solar energy history of the direct conversion of solar power into mechanical power belongs to Auguste Mouchout in the 1860's. He was granted the first patent for a motor running on solar power and is responsible for our basic understanding of solar energy.

In 1892, Aubrey Eneas of Boston, formed the first solar power company, The Solar Motor Co.

However, it wasn't until the 1950's that the technology was developed enough to produce efficient working solar cells.

During the 50's and 60's solar photovoltaic energy panels were put on satellites and sent into space but it was still too expensive for general use.

Over the next few decades, better technology made panels less expensive and Solar PV was installed in remote locations around the world to provide electricity for people where there was no supply.

And variations of this technology such as the solar oven were also distributed to make cooking in remote areas clean and hygenic.

Grid-connected Solar PV, coupled with solar water heaters has had a massive growth since 1990's in the more developed countries of the world.

With governmental rebates making solar energy cost effective for the average household in most developed countries, notably Germany, Japan and parts of the USA, the take-up of solar power is gathering momentum.

In hundreds of years in the future when historians look back on solar energy history, our generation will probably be seen as the catalyst of the coming solar power revolution.

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