Hobbies And Interests
Beginnings
The year 1839 is when research into photovoltaics began. French physicist, Alexandre Becquerel, noticed the possibility of converting light into electricity while experimenting with metal electrodes and electrolytes. What he noticed was that increased conductivity produced more light. In 1873, American scientist, Willoughby Smith, identified a photovoltaic effect in selenium. Ten years later, Charles Fritts, also American, described solar cells made from selenium wafers. Before the end of the century, Edward Weston received a patent for a solar cell and Nikola Tesla received a patent for a method of using radiant energy.
Einstein and Milikan
Einstein had a significant impact on the future of photovoltaics. In 1905, he published a paper, "On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light." This described the "photoelectric effect" alongside his theory of relativity. Some ten years later, American physicist, Robert Millikan, proved Einstein's theory. In 1922, Einstein won the Nobel Prize for his paper on photovoltaics. Millikan received the Nobel Prize the following year for his work on the light spectrum.
1950s to 1970s
The use of solar-powered energy progressed in the 1950s. Bell Laboratories developed the first silicon photovoltaic cell with a 6 percent efficiency, this highest available at the time. By the end of the decade, Hoffman Electronics raised PV efficiency to 9 percent. In 1958, radios on the Vanguard I space satellite were powered by PV cells, and photovoltaics played a part in subsequent space flights. During the 1960s, Japanese corporations, such as Sharp, also made significant advances in PV cell use. In 1963, a Japanese lighthouse was equipped with a 242-watt PV system, the largest in the world at that time. In the 1970s, both the U.S. and Japan established major solar energy research programs, and during the same decade the price of PV cells dropped by 80 percent.
1980s Onward
The use of PV cells in consumer electronics increased during the 1980s. In the 1990s, with concerns about fossil fuel use growing, several countries established subsidies to encourage solar panel installation. Photovoltaic system capacity increased significantly from watts to kilowatts and megawatts, albeit in stages. In 1992, a 0.5-kilowatt system powered an Antarctic laboratory, while in 1997, the Greek government announced its plan for a 5-megawatt installation on Crete. The project did not proceed, but in 2003, Germany opened a 5-megawatt photovoltaic power plant. The city of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada is home to a solar power plant with capacity of 97 megawatts, constructed in 2010.