A Timeline of the Discovery of Solar Power

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PHOTO: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF
From the 1970s through the 1990s, North American interest in solar power wanes.

This timeline shows the dates from the discovery of solar power through its decline.

1839 Edmund Becquerel, a French physicist, observes the photovoltaic effect leading to the discovery of solar power.

1880s Selenium PV cells are built that convert light in the visible spectrum into electricity — they’re 1% to 2% efficient. Light sensors for cameras are made from selenium to this day.

In the early 1950s the Czochralski meter is developed for producing pure crystalline silicon.

In 1954 Bell Telephone Laboratories produces a silicon PV cell with a 4% efficiency, which eventually graduates to 11% efficiency.

  • Published on Dec 1, 2000
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