History of Solar Energy Panels
Not many people are really knowledgeable about the history of solar energy panels. Some people even think that it's only been invented in the last few decades or so. If you want to know more about how solar energy panels came to be, then you'd have to really start from the beginning.
The Photovoltaic Effect
It all started when a Frenchman, by the name of Alexandre Edmond Becquerel, first discovered (or recognized) the photovoltaic effect. He was a physicist who focused his studies on magnetism, optics, electricity, and the solar spectrum. Basically, he's known more for his works on phosphorescence and luminescence rather than the photovoltaic effect.
The First Solar Cell
Even though Becquerel was recognized as the discoverer, it was only in the year 1883 when Charles Fritts, an American Inventor, created the first form of solar cell. Translated in modern terms, its solar panels efficiency would've only been around 1 percent. Although, it was still an important achievement; owing to his use of the selenium that was coated with gold, and through his studies on Alexandre Becquerel's work on the photovoltaic effect.
The Modern Solar Cell
The solar cell did not catch on when it was first made, however. That's because of its mere 1 percent efficiency. It was only during 1946 when Russel Shoemaker Ohl, an American Engineer and Inventor, created the modern solar cell. He quickly patented his invention even though only a few scientists understood his work. Today, he is widely regarded as the inventor of the modern design of the solar cell. It's possible that without him the technology would have been different.
Silicon
The first solar cells used a different semiconductor back then. Solar electric panels these days use silicon, whereas the older designs used selenium with gold coating. In 1954, Bell Laboratories accidentally found that silicon was very sensitive to light when it's combined with certain impurities such as boron and phosphorus. With this accidental discovery, Daryl Chapin, together with his colleagues at Bell Labs (Gerald Pearson and Calvin Fuller), invented a most practical device that was able to convert sunlight into useful electricity. Although the technology of the modern solar cell was already invented, theirs was a more pragmatic version that was easy to use. The silicon material, coupled with boron and phosphorus, boosted the efficiency of the solar cell to nearly 7 percent.
National Recognition
Due to the silicon, solar cells received national recognition when it was given an official demonstration on April 25, 1954. Four years later, the solar energy panels were first used on a United States Navy spacecraft called Vanguard 1. Hoffman Electronics provided the solar cells and Vanguard 1 was then launched into space on March of 1958. It was a success and it provided solar cells the necessary stepping stone into the future. From then on, various governments and other companies began investing in the solar cells in order to improve its technology.
Commercial Status
Even though it was already being used by NASA and the military during the 50s and 60s, it was only in the 1970s that the solar panels became more commercially available. As environmental issues and energy problems began to catch people's attention, solar power became a gradually important topic to discuss. All this time, other countries such as the USSR had made their developments on solar cell technology, particularly solar panels efficiency. The various contributions of other research boosted the solar cell's efficiency to 17 percent during the 1980s and it became commercially viable for industrial companies to use solar power for their own. In the early 90s, the efficiency of the solar panels finally achieved a stable 19 percent and neared the 20 percent marker.
Recent History
In the late stages of the 90s era, the solar cells finally reached the 24 percent efficiency. By this time, a lot of people were already buying solar panels and solar cells for use in their own homes. It was during this time that the environmental awareness trend began to formally bloom and influence a lot of people to recognize the current global issues of climate change, carbon waste, etc. When the year 2000 finally neared, solar electric panels finally achieved its status as a contender for providing alternative energy that rivaled other power plants. Though the technology was at its early stages, scientists and environmental engineers began to be enthusiastic about the possibilities. They began to do everything they could so as to improve the technology's mass productivity by finding ways to cut down on production costs and generating more commercial interest.
The 40 Percent Barrier
For a long time, solar cell efficiency was stuck at 30 percent. When the first thin film solar panels came out, efficiency boosted to 31 percent. These thin films were known to be the 2nd generation of solar cells and it provided manufacturers and companies a faster method of mass producing the panels. When the third generation finally came, solar panels efficiency skyrocketed to 40 percent. That is the efficiency number that the solar panels are currently stuck on. However, a lot of scientists are enthusiastic about newer designs that would finally break the 40 percent barrier. Nobody knows when that might happen, but it's an almost-sure bet that it'll happen in the coming decade. With such things as better solar concentrators, better semiconductors, etc, the future looks bright.
The history of solar panels is filled with interesting facts and figures that one is probably inclined to ask which direction it's going to go this time. Nobody is entirely sure. But it seems that unless people contribute to its development, then people will have to wait for what happens next. However, if you choose to be a part of the ongoing story of solar energy panels and solar cells, then you'll definitely be aware of the possibilities.