Solar panels are comprised of an array of photovoltaic cells producing a direct current that requires conversion to alternating current by utilizing the best solar inverter. Every hour of the day, the sun provides earth with nearly 430 Quintilian joules of energy, if harnessed properly, would suffice the world’s global energy demands.
Many ancient civilizations, from Aztecs to Egyptians, worshipped the Sun as a deity, especially in agricultural societies and believed the sun could grant prosperity and sustenance. Sunlight was first used to create a fire by amplifying its rays to generate heat. Solar technology has been evolving since its inception. However slow, yet steady and significant. Let’s discuss how solar technology has progressed over the years in detail.
The advent of solar technology
A sundial was the first type of timekeeping device to appear around 3500 B.C. Around 2400 years ago, the Greek philosopher Socrates first observed a phenomenon called passive solar architecture. It leveraged the strategic use of the Sun for heating and cooling utilizing the rotation of the Earth; if placed strategically, the homes could get maximum sunlight during winter and minimal sunlight during summers.
1800s - 1900s
Alexandre-Edmund Becquerel was the first one to discover the photovoltaic effect in 1839. The photovoltaic effect is the conversion of light energy to electrical energy in certain semiconductor materials when exposed to light. The early development of solar technology began in the 1860s when Augustin Mouchot exploited solar thermal technology to power engines by converting energy from the sun into mechanical steam power.
Solar thermal technology was further developed in 1870 by a Swiss-born engineer, John Ericsson. He designed a variation of Mouchout’s work, using a trough instead of a dish to reflect the sun’s rays. Willoughby Smith first discovered selenium's photoconductivity in 1873. Thanks to numerous efforts made by scientists and organizations, owning a solar system for home has become affordable, enabling anyone to shift to solar energy.
The American inventor Charles Fritts made the first solar cells from selenium in 1833. The first photoelectric module was created by coating a metal plate with semiconductor selenium with a fine layer of semitransparent gold-leaf film. The first photoelectric module was made by covering a metal plate with semiconductor selenium with a thin layer of semitransparent gold-leaf film.
The world’s first rooftop solar array employing 1% efficient Fritt’s selenium cells was installed in 1884 in New York City. It was only in 1888 the first solar cell was built by Aleksandr Stoletov based on the outer photovoltaic effect.
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1900s
Albert Einstein published a paper explaining the photoelectric effect and quantum light hypothesis in 1905. He received a Nobel prize for these theories. The scientists at Bell Laboratories produced the first modern photovoltaic cell using the same technology in 1954. The first-generation solar technology was only 6% efficient. Hoffman Electronics was the first company to commercially sell solar cells in 1955. The first solar-powered satellite, Vanguard 1, was launched in 1957.
During this time period, Solar technology was too expensive for mainstream consumer distribution. Contributions from experts like Dr. Elliot Berman and Solar Power Corporation helped in boosting the efficiency of solar cells while lowering the solar panels' costs over time. Photovoltaic system installations rose fast between 1970 and 1983. Falling oil prices in the early 1980s slowed the growth of photovoltaics from 1984 to 1996. Continuous efforts were made to break through solar cell technology's technological limitations to offer the best solar inverter and solar panel for both industrial and domestic use.
21st Century
Research and developments continue in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Owing to supply issues with natural gas and oil and global warming concerns, the development of both residential and commercial rooftop solar, along with utility-scale PV power plants, took place. In 1999, solar power generation eventually hit 1000 megawatts.
This third generation of solar technology incorporates multiple solar energy technologies including organic photovoltaic cells that aim at achieving better efficiency while reducing overall negative impacts on the environment. In order to harvest solar energy, PolyPower technology was developed at a nanoscale level to provide lightweight, flexible and potentially inexpensive solutions. In 2016, researchers at MIT successfully produced ultra-slim, flexible solar cells. Although the development is still in the early stages but could help broaden the applications of solar energy in the near future.
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The Present & The Future of Solar Power
Currently, solar panels can deliver at up to 22% efficiency, while research and developments have been going on to make solar energy even more efficient and affordable. Switching to solar power is cheaper than building new electric grid lines to provide power to remote locations. In addition, since solar panels require little to no maintenance and no fuel, it is more convenient to buy a solar system for home.
Being a tropical country with more than 300 days of sunlight, India has tremendous potential for generating electricity through renewable energy sources like solar, hydro, wind, etc. We can now use solar energy in situations where it was previously unviable. We believe solar energy is the future. With the next generation of solar panels, we will overcome these obstacles and open a world of possibilities with renewable solar energy.
