400 B.C.
Greeks were the first to build their houses in a way that would benefit from the sun's heat during winter.
1767
Horace-Benedict de Saussure a scientist from Switzerland created the first solar collector in 1767. It was a sort of insulated box that used three layers of glass to absorb heat energy. This box was able to reach temperatures of 230 degrees Fahrenheit or 110 degrees Celsius and became known as the first solar oven. This solar oven was later used by Sir John Herschel to cook food during his South Africa expedition in the 1830s.
1839
This is the year Edmond Becquerel, a French scientist, experiments with two electrodes placed in an electricity conducting solution and discovers the electricity increases when it is exposed to light. This is now called the photo-voltaic effect.
Greeks were the first to build their houses in a way that would benefit from the sun's heat during winter.
1767
Horace-Benedict de Saussure a scientist from Switzerland created the first solar collector in 1767. It was a sort of insulated box that used three layers of glass to absorb heat energy. This box was able to reach temperatures of 230 degrees Fahrenheit or 110 degrees Celsius and became known as the first solar oven. This solar oven was later used by Sir John Herschel to cook food during his South Africa expedition in the 1830s.
1839
This is the year Edmond Becquerel, a French scientist, experiments with two electrodes placed in an electricity conducting solution and discovers the electricity increases when it is exposed to light. This is now called the photo-voltaic effect.
1861
Auguste Mouchout invents and builds the first solar powered steam engine. Unfortunately, the cost of building such an engine was too high to be considered an option for daily use.
1873
British electrician Wiloughby Smith discovered the photo-conductivity of selenium. Even though attempts of making solar cells with selenium failed, the important lesson that a solid could turn light into electricity without heat or moving parts would create a solid foundation and inspiration for later development.
1883
American inventor Charles Fritz turned the sun's rays into electricity with the first solar cell.
1887
Heinrich Hertz was the one who made the discovery of the ultraviolet ray capacity to cause a spark jump between two electrodes.
1891
American inventor Clarence Kemp patented the first solar water heater.
1908
William J. Baileys invented a copper collector using copper coils and boxes. This solar collector is similar to the ones used today.
1916
A scientist known as Robert Millikan strengthens Einstein's 1905 paper by providing evidence to the photoelectric effect experimentally.
1947
Following the Second World War, solar power equipment started being popular among many people in the USA. There was a huge demand of solar energy equipment.
1954
Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson and Daryl Chaplin of Bell Laboratories create the first silicon solar cell able to generate enough power to run common appliances.
1956
Commercial solar cells went on the market at a hefty price of $300 per watt. (Prices today, 2014, are less than $1 per watt!)
1958
Solar power was used to power space exploration equipment such as satellites and space stations. This was the first commercial use of solar energy.
1963
Japan installs the largest solar system of it's time, a 242 watt system on a lighthouse.
1977
The US government embraced the use of solar energy by launching the Solar Energy Research Institute. Other governments across the world soon followed.
1981
Paul Macready produced the first solar powered aircraft. The aircraft used more than 1600 cells, placed on its wings. The aircraft flew from France to England.
1982
In Australia, the first solar-powered car, The Quiet Achiever, is driven 2,800 miles from Sydney to Perth.
1993
Pacific Gas and Electric installs the first photo-voltaic on-grid system in Kerman, California.
1998
Subhendu Guha, a noted scientist for his pioneering work in amorphous silicon, led the invention of flexible solar shingles, a roofing material and state-of-the-art technology for converting sunlight to electricity.
1999
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory achieves a new efficiency record for thin-film photo-voltaic solar cells. The measurement of 18.8 percent efficiency for the prototype solar cell topped the previous record by more than 1 percent.
2002
Japan installed 25,000 solar rooftops.
2014 and Beyond!
The past few years have seen enormous investment in utility-scale solar plants, with records for the largest frequently being broken. In 2012, the largest solar energy plant was the Golmud Solar Park in China, with an installed capacity of 200 megawatts. In 2014, the largest plant is Agua Caliente, a 290 megawatt system in Arizona. This system is built with over 5 million solar panels and can provide enough power for 230,000 homes!
It is exciting to see renewable energy becoming more relevant and affordable. People are starting to realize that it can be used as a main source of energy instead of just an alternative. Plus all the neat new products that come along with it!
Your turn!
Let us know in the comments below, where do you think renewable energy will go next? What kind of products would you like to see powered with green energy?
Auguste Mouchout invents and builds the first solar powered steam engine. Unfortunately, the cost of building such an engine was too high to be considered an option for daily use.
1873
British electrician Wiloughby Smith discovered the photo-conductivity of selenium. Even though attempts of making solar cells with selenium failed, the important lesson that a solid could turn light into electricity without heat or moving parts would create a solid foundation and inspiration for later development.
1883
American inventor Charles Fritz turned the sun's rays into electricity with the first solar cell.
1887
Heinrich Hertz was the one who made the discovery of the ultraviolet ray capacity to cause a spark jump between two electrodes.
1891
American inventor Clarence Kemp patented the first solar water heater.
1908
William J. Baileys invented a copper collector using copper coils and boxes. This solar collector is similar to the ones used today.
1916
A scientist known as Robert Millikan strengthens Einstein's 1905 paper by providing evidence to the photoelectric effect experimentally.
1947
Following the Second World War, solar power equipment started being popular among many people in the USA. There was a huge demand of solar energy equipment.
1954
Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson and Daryl Chaplin of Bell Laboratories create the first silicon solar cell able to generate enough power to run common appliances.
1956
Commercial solar cells went on the market at a hefty price of $300 per watt. (Prices today, 2014, are less than $1 per watt!)
1958
Solar power was used to power space exploration equipment such as satellites and space stations. This was the first commercial use of solar energy.
1963
Japan installs the largest solar system of it's time, a 242 watt system on a lighthouse.
1977
The US government embraced the use of solar energy by launching the Solar Energy Research Institute. Other governments across the world soon followed.
1981
Paul Macready produced the first solar powered aircraft. The aircraft used more than 1600 cells, placed on its wings. The aircraft flew from France to England.
1982
In Australia, the first solar-powered car, The Quiet Achiever, is driven 2,800 miles from Sydney to Perth.
1993
Pacific Gas and Electric installs the first photo-voltaic on-grid system in Kerman, California.
1998
Subhendu Guha, a noted scientist for his pioneering work in amorphous silicon, led the invention of flexible solar shingles, a roofing material and state-of-the-art technology for converting sunlight to electricity.
1999
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory achieves a new efficiency record for thin-film photo-voltaic solar cells. The measurement of 18.8 percent efficiency for the prototype solar cell topped the previous record by more than 1 percent.
2002
Japan installed 25,000 solar rooftops.
2014 and Beyond!
The past few years have seen enormous investment in utility-scale solar plants, with records for the largest frequently being broken. In 2012, the largest solar energy plant was the Golmud Solar Park in China, with an installed capacity of 200 megawatts. In 2014, the largest plant is Agua Caliente, a 290 megawatt system in Arizona. This system is built with over 5 million solar panels and can provide enough power for 230,000 homes!
It is exciting to see renewable energy becoming more relevant and affordable. People are starting to realize that it can be used as a main source of energy instead of just an alternative. Plus all the neat new products that come along with it!
Your turn!
Let us know in the comments below, where do you think renewable energy will go next? What kind of products would you like to see powered with green energy?
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