Timeline of solar power
From Timelines
This is a timeline of solar power.
Contents
Big picture
| Time period | Development summary | More details |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | As oil prices rise, demand for solar power increases, and research drives costs down.[1] |
Full timeline
| Year | Event type | Details | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th century BC | "In theory, solar energy was used by humans as early as 7th century B.C. when history tells us that humans used sunlight to light fires with magnifying glass materials. "[2] | ||
| 3rd century BC | "Later, in 3rd century B.C., the Greeks and Romans were known to harness solar power with mirrors to light torches for religious ceremonies. These mirrors became a normalized tool referred to as “burning mirrors.”"[2] | ||
| 20 AD | "The Chinese civilization documents the use of mirrors for the same purpose later in 20 A.D."[2] | China | |
| Late 1700s – 1800s | Researchers and scientists have success using sunlight to power ovens for long voyages. They also harness the power of the sun to produce solar-powered steam boats.[2] | ||
| 1839 | French physicist Edmond Becquerel first discovers the photovoltaic effect. This process occurs when light is absorbed by a material and creates electrical voltage. Most modern solar cells use silicon crystals to attain this effect.[1][3] | France | |
| 1873 | English electrical engineer Willoughby Smith discovers that selenium has photoconductive potential.[2][1] | United Kingdom | |
| 1876 | "William Grylls Adams’ and Richard Evans Day’s 1876 discovery that selenium creates electricity when exposed to sunlight."[2] | ||
| 1883 | American inventor Charles Fritts produces the first solar cells made from selenium wafers.[2] Fritts coats selenium with a thin layer of gold. This cell achieves an energy conversion rate of 1–2% (most modern solar cells work at an efficiency of 15–20%).[1] | United States | |
| 1887 | German physicist Heinrich Hertz first observes the photoelectric effect, where light is used to free electrons from a solid surface (usually metal) to create power. Hertz finds this process produces more power when exposed to ultraviolet light, rather than more intense visible light. Albert Einstein later receives the Nobel Prize for further explaining the effect. Modern-day solar cells rely on the photoelectric effect to convert sunlight into power.[1] | Germany | |
| 1941 | American engineer Russell Ohl invents the solar cell, shortly after the invention of the transistor.[3] | United States | |
| 1954 | " Therefore, some consider the true invention of solar panels to be tied to Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson’s creation of the silicon photovoltaic (PV) cell at Bell Labs in 1954. Many argue that this event marks the true invention of PV technology because it was the first instance of a solar technology that could actually power an electric device for several hours of a day"[2] | ||
| 1956 | American company Western Electric begins selling commercial licenses for its silicon PV technologies. However, the prohibitive costs of silicon solar cells keep them from widespread market saturation.[1] | United States | |
| 1956 | Solar panels cost roughly US$300 per watt.[2] | ||
| 1957 – 1960 | " Between 1957 and 1960, Hoffman Electronics made a number of breakthroughs with photovoltaic efficiency, improving the efficiency record from 8% to 14%."[2] | ||
| 1958 | Solar energy is used in space. The Vanguard I satellite uses a tiny one-watt panel to power its radios. Later that year the Vanguard II, Explorer 3 and Sputnik 3 are all launched with PV technology on board.[2][1][1] | ||
| 1964 | "In 1964, NASA was responsible for launching the first Nimbus spacecraft, a satellite able to run entirely on a 470 watt solar array."[2] | ||
| 1964 | Book | American physical chemist Farrington Daniels publishes Direct Use of the Sun's Energy.[4] | United States |
| 1966 | " In 1966, NASA launched the world’s first Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, powered by a one-kilowatt array."[2] | ||
| 1968 | Robert Riehl introduces his solar-powered wristwatch.[5] | ||
| 1973 | " In 1973, the University of Delaware was responsible for constructing the first solar building, named “Solar One.” The system ran on a hybrid supply of solar thermal and solar PV power. It was also the first instance of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV)"[2] | ||
| 1975 | Solar panels cost drops to just over US$100 a watt.[2] | ||
| 1974 | Organization | The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is established in the United States}} | United States |
| 1978 | The first solar-powered calculator is released.[6] | ||
| 1979 | United States President Jimmy Carter has solar panels installed on the White House during his term as president.[2] | United States | |
| 1980< | Solar panel prices starts dropping by at least 10 percent every single year. The plummeting cost of solar is largely responsible for the growing popularity of solar and the legitimacy of photovoltaics as a reliable energy source in today’s world.[2] | ||
| 1981 | Paul MacCready builds Solar Challenger, the first aircraft to run on solar power, and flies it across the English Channel from France to Britain.[2] | ||
| 1982 | Arco Solar builds the first solar park (basically a solar power plant) in Hesperia, California.[1] | United States | |
| 1985 | "The next major achievement was in 1985 when the University of South Wales achieved 20% photovoltaic efficiency for silicon cells."[2] | Australia | |
| 1994 | The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory develops a new solar cell from gallium indium phosphide and gallium arsenide that exceeds 30% conversion efficiency.[1] | United States | |
| 1995 | Thomas Faludy files a patent for a retractable awning with integrated solar cells. This is one of the first times solar cells are used in recreational vehicles. Later, this feature would become a popular way to power RVs.[1] | ||
| 1998 | The remote-controlled solar airplane “Pathfinder” sets an altitude record after reaching 80,000 feet.[2] | ||
| 1999 | The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory creates thin-film solar cells that convert 32% of the sunlight it collects into usable energy.[2][1] | United States | |
| 2001 | NASA breaks record when reaching 96,000 feet with its solar-powered non-rocket aircraft.[2] | ||
| 2005 | DIY solar panels are released. These would become more prevalent with each new year.[1] | ||
| 2015 | Solar cells as thin as paper are manufactured using an industrial printer. These have 20% power conversion efficiency, and a single strip can produce up to 50 watts per square meter.[1] | ||
| 2016 | "The University of South Wales broke that record again in 2016 when researchers reached 34.5% photovoltaic efficiency."[2] | Australia | |
| 2016 | Bertrand Piccard completes the first zero-emissions flight around the world with Solar Impulse 2, the world’s largest and most powerful solar-powered airplane to date.[2] | ||
| 2016 | A research team from the University of California, Berkeley, and the Australian National University discover nanomaterial property called magnetic hyperbolic dispersion, which means the material glows when heated. If combined with thermophotovoltaic cells, it could turn heat into electricity without the need for sunlight.[1] | United States, Australia |
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See also
External links
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 "A History of Solar Cells: How Technology Has Evolved". solarpowerauthority.com. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 "What is the history of solar power and when were solar panels invented?". news.energysage.com. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "SOLAR PANEL BRIEF HISTORY AND OVERVIEW". energymatters.com.au. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ↑ "Direct Use of The Sun's Energy By Farrington Daniels. Illustrated. 374 pp. New York: Ballantine Books. $1.95.". nytimes.com. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ↑ "The Story of Roger W. Riehl and the Synchronar". watchesnsuch.net. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ↑ "Featured Electronic Hand-held Calculators". vintagecalculators.com. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
