When was solar energy discovered?

When Was Solar Energy Discovered in the UK?

The discovery of solar energy can be traced back to the 1830s when the French physicist Edmund Becquerel observed the photovoltaic effect, which is the production of an electric current when certain materials are exposed to light. However, it was not until the 1950s that solar energy was first used to generate electricity in the UK.

The first solar photovoltaic (PV) cell was invented by Bell Labs in the US in 1954. This invention paved the way for the modern solar industry, and since then, solar energy has become increasingly popular worldwide. In the UK, the first solar panel was installed in 1964 on top of a lighthouse in Devon. This installation was primarily used to power the lighthouse and the surrounding areas.

In the early days of solar energy, the cost of solar panels was prohibitively expensive, and the technology was not yet advanced enough to make it economically viable. However, as the cost of solar panels has decreased, the technology has become more affordable and accessible, and solar energy has become an increasingly popular form of renewable energy.

In the UK, the first commercial solar power plant was built in 1986 in Norfolk. This plant consisted of 2,000 solar panels and was capable of generating 50 kilowatts of electricity. Since then, solar power plants have become increasingly common in the UK, and the country has become one of the world’s leading producers of solar energy.

The UK’s first solar farm was built in 2010 in Cornwall. This farm consisted of 4,000 solar panels and was capable of generating 1 megawatt of electricity. Since then, the number of solar farms in the UK has grown significantly, and the country now has over 1,000 solar farms, generating a total capacity of over 13 gigawatts of electricity.

In addition to solar farms, the UK has also seen a significant increase in the number of solar panels installed on homes and businesses. The government’s feed-in tariff scheme, which was introduced in 2010, encouraged homeowners and businesses to install solar panels by offering subsidies for the electricity they generated. This scheme has been highly successful, and over 1 million homes in the UK now have solar panels installed.

The UK has also seen a significant increase in the use of solar energy for heating. Solar thermal systems use the sun’s energy to heat water, which can then be used to provide hot water or heating for homes and businesses. These systems are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, and the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive scheme has encouraged their adoption.

In conclusion, solar energy has been a significant part of the UK’s energy mix for over 50 years. While the technology was initially expensive and impractical, advances in technology and falling costs have made solar energy an increasingly popular form of renewable energy. The UK is now one of the world’s leading producers of solar energy, with over 1,000 solar farms and over 1 million homes with solar panels installed. With the government’s continued support for renewable energy, solar energy is set to play an even more significant role in the UK’s energy mix in the years to come.