The History Of Solar Panel

Since the 1980s the cost of solar panels has dropped 10 percent per year on average.

The history of solar panel.

Its history spans from the 7th century b c. The history of solar power is not as recent as some may think as the technology has existed since the 19th century and has received substantial government support since at least the 1970s. With the long history of solar technology it s notable that the real sea change for solar has been in the past few decades. Efforts to harness solar energy in concentrated form have long been a human pursuit.

Today we have everything from solar powered buildings to solar powered vehicles. A brief history of solar panels inventors have been advancing solar technology for more than a century and a half and improvements in efficiency and aesthetics keep on coming. By 1975 that figure had dropped to just over 100 a watt. The power of the sun is what makes life on earth possible.

The history of solar panels can be described by becquerel s discovery of photovoltaic effect or the invention of first solar cell by chapin fuller and pearson in bell labs. Since the beginning of life on earth the sun has been the ultimate source of all energy. Currently solar panels average between 15 and 18 percent efficiency and can cost as low as 0 50 per watt. Since the year 1980 solar panel prices have dropped by at least 10 percent every single year.

Solar technology isn t new. We started out concentrating the sun s heat with glass and mirrors to light fires. In 1956 solar panels cost roughly 300 per watt.