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The History of Solar Power
Learn about
solar energy history
and how it all started.
 Solar Power
History
The history of solar power is a long and fascinating road that has led the modern
world to many conveniences and advantages over previous civilizations.
Thanks to solar energy history, we can plug in our hair dryers and dry our locks.
Pop bread in the toaster and get toast. And push a button on our TV remote and be entertained for
hours on end.
But who is responsible for the history of solar power and all this convenience?
What Is The History Of Solar Energy?
Solar energy was discovered in the height of the industrial revolution when other
energy sources such as oil and coal seemed to be in great abundance.
However, before solar power history even began, there were a select group of
individuals you could foresee a future with depleting fossil fuel reserves due to an obviously huge
but ultimately limited supply.
The History of Solar
Power
1838
In 1838, Edmund Becquerel started the history of
solar energy when he observed how the nature of certain materials turns light into energy
and even published his findings. Although very interesting, this work was not further continued and
solar power history went on.
 1860 - 1881
Then from 1860 - 1881, Auguste
Mouchout (whose research was funded by the French Monarch) patented a design that turned
energy from the sun into mechanical steam power and thus made the first motor to run on solar energy... the steam
engine. Later he took this steam engine and attached it to a
refrigeration unit proving that the sun's rays can make ice! He received much attention for this
find and was even awarded a medal.
Unfortunately, solar energy history took a bad turn when his research was cut
short by the French Monarch who struck a deal with England for the supply of coal for energy
leaving Mouchout's work unexplored further and on the back burner due to lack of funding.
1873
In 1873, a British man named Willoughby Smith was testing material for
use in underwater cables and noticed that selenium had a great sensitivity to light. This resulted
in further experimentation with selenium cells for energy production.
1876 - 1878
Solar power history happened again when the first book about
solar energy was written between 1876 - 1878 by William Adams and it was called: A Substitute for
Fuel in Tropical Countries.
By experimenting with the sun and mirrors, Adam's and a student of his named
Richard Day were able to power a 2.5 horsepower steam engine. This was much bigger than Mouchout's
.5 horse powered steam engine and this design called the Power Tower is still being used in energy
applications today.
1883
Charles Fritz was responsible for another breakthrough in
solar power history when he created a solar cell with a conversion rate of 1-2% in
1883. At this time in solar energy history, that was a lot!
1885 - 1889
From 1885 to 1889, a French citizen named Charles Tellier
performed solar experiments with a non-concentrating/ non-reflecting solar motor and created a
solar energy system that could heat water by collecting roof top sunlight. Later, Tellier gained
fame as the father of refrigeration and decided not to pursue his solar experiments
further.
1868 - 1888
Between 1868 and 1888, an American who immigrated from Sweden
named John Ericsson added to the history of solar power by further developing a
solar powered steam engine, very much like Mouchout's in design.
He was also one of the first to actively raise awareness about the depleting coal
fields of Europe and the eventual inevitability of solar energy use.
1892 - 1905
Next in solar power history, the first solar energy company
was founded by Aubrey Eneas and was called The Solar Motor Co. They sold a solar power system to
Dr. A.J. Chandler of Mesa, Arizona for $2,160, which was destroyed days later by a windstorm. They
then sold another solar energy system to John May, but it too was ruined by a hailstorm. As a
result, the company closed down.
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1904
Henry Willsie attributed to the history of solar power by being the
first person to generate solar energy at night and use it in the day. He even built 2 huge plants
in California for the purpose of storing generated solar power. However, his company also folded
due to lack of sales.
1906 - 1914
In 1906 - 1914 the largest and most cost-effective
solar energy system was built by Frank Shuman's Sun Power Company. It spanned over
10,000 feet, produced a lot of steam, but the problem was it didn't produce enough pressure to
be effective. Shuman then joined forces with E.P. Haines to build an irrigation plant just
outside of Cairo, which was eventually destroyed during the Great War period.
1954
Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson and Daryl Chaplin of Bell Laboratories
all contributed the history of solar power by discovering a much more efficient solar panel
when they stumbled upon the application of silicon as a semi-conductor. The result was a solar
panel with a 6% efficiency rating. Quite an impressive spot in solar power history!
1956
Solar energy history was made in 1956 when the very first commercial
solar cell was made available for purchase at $300 per watt. Wow that's expensive. It was typically
used then in radios and other "low wattage" devices.
 1950s - 1960s
In 1958 the history of solar energy changed again when the
space program launched the Vanguard I, which for the first time ever successfully generated
electricity using solar power in space.
1970
In 1970, when the OPEC oil embargo came, it also changed solar
energy history by growing awareness that we couldn't rely on fossil fuels forever and the world
better embraced the possibility of solar power as a viable alternative form of energy. As a result
solar history was made when the price of solar cells dropped to $20 per watt - a much more
affordable rate which ultimately opened the door for the creation of many more solar powered
products and solar energy applications.
1980 - 1991
During the eighties a Los Angeles company named Luz Co. made
solar energy history by managing to produce 95% of the entire world's solar electricity. With
numbers like this, you'd think they would survive, but when the price of fossil fuels dropped and
the government reconsidered state and federal incentives, investors backed out and Luz Co. was shut
down. A sore spot in solar power history.
 Modern Day
Today, the history of solar
power goes on, as solar energy becomes a lot more practical as well as more affordable for
both residential and commercial use. This is due to the steady development of solar technology
and the invention of better, more efficient solar panels.
People are now able to power their homes, cottages, businesses and outdoor
equipment with solar energy for a fraction of what it used to cost.
As the history of solar energy progresses, governments have also relaxed some of
the restrictions on solar power usage. In fact, they now even offer rebates, tax benefits
and other incentives for utilizing solar power or for solar based employment programs. As
a result, more and more people are now realising the benefits of solar power and enjoying the
savings.
Click here to go back to the How Solar Power
Works section in the exact spot you left off (or just click your browsers back
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