The discovery of solar energy is an age-old story. It dates back to the time when humans first made fire by harnessing the energy of the sun. However, the modern history of solar energy dates back to the 19th century when scientists first began to explore the potential of the sun’s energy to power the world.
William Grylls Adams, a British physicist, was the first to discover the photovoltaic effect in 1876. Adams had been experimenting with selenium, a chemical element that is sensitive to light. He found that when he exposed the selenium to light, it produced an electrical current. This discovery was significant because it showed that light could be converted into electricity.
Adams’ discovery was followed by the work of French physicist Edmond Becquerel, who in 1839 discovered that certain materials produced a small electrical current when exposed to light. His discovery was the first to show that light could be converted into electricity without the use of heat.
The development of solar cells as we know them today began in the 1950s. In 1954, Bell Labs in the United States created the first practical solar cell. The cell was made of silicon, a material that is still used in solar cells today. The Bell Labs team discovered that when they exposed silicon to sunlight, it produced an electrical current.
The first commercial solar panels were developed in the 1960s. They were used primarily for space applications, such as powering satellites. However, as the technology improved and the cost of manufacturing solar cells decreased, solar panels began to be used for terrestrial applications as well.
In the United Kingdom, the development of solar energy has been hampered by the country’s relatively low levels of sunlight. However, the UK government has made a commitment to increasing the use of renewable energy sources, including solar energy. In 2010, the government introduced a feed-in tariff scheme that pays homeowners and businesses for the electricity they generate from renewable sources, including solar panels.
Since then, the UK solar industry has grown rapidly. By 2019, there were more than one million solar panels installed on homes and businesses across the country. The UK government has set a target of generating 40% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030, which will require a significant increase in the use of solar energy.
In recent years, there have been significant advances in solar technology that have made solar panels more efficient and cost-effective. For example, the development of thin-film solar cells has made it possible to manufacture solar panels that are lighter and more flexible than traditional silicon-based panels.
In conclusion, the discovery of solar energy dates back to the 19th century, when scientists first began to explore the potential of the sun’s energy to power the world. The development of solar cells as we know them today began in the 1950s, and since then, there have been significant advances in solar technology that have made solar panels more efficient and cost-effective. In the United Kingdom, the solar industry has grown rapidly in recent years, and the government has set a target of generating 40% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
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