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Discovery of the Photovoltaic Effect
Edmund Becquerel, a French physicist, discovers that voltage is created when a material is exposed to light. This marks the beginning of solar power. -
Discovery of Photoconductivity
Willoughby Smith discovered photoconductivity in solid selenium.
Photoconductivity is when a material becomes more electrically conductive when is absorbs ultraviolet light, infrared light or gamma radiation. -
Discovery of Photoconductivity
Professor William Grylls Adams and his student, Richard Evans Day, were the first to see an electrical current when a material was exposed to light. -
The Beginning of Photovoltaic Cells
An american inventor, Charles Fritts, created a design of selenium wafers that creat solar cells. -
Photoelectric Effect
Albert Einstein formulated the photon theory of light, which describes how light can “liberate” electrons on a metal surface. -
Birth Of Photovoltaics
David Chapin, Calvin Fuller and Gerald Pearson made the world’s first photovoltaic. The first device that converted sunlight into electrical power. -
Solar Power in the White House
President Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the White House. -
Solar Power in the White House
President Barack Obama requested that solar panels and a solar water heater be installed on the White House. -
Solar power today
Today, a solar panel can cost as little as $0.50 a watt. Consumer demand has grown tremendously in the last years.