Solar panels history and efficiency

Not long ago, I moved into a new house with solar panels on the roof. Today, I passed by a house with solar panels built into it, and it made me realize something: despite working on various #greentech projects at Altabel Group, including those related to solar panels, I know very little about their creation. I don’t know the history, the people behind them, or how they’ve evolved over time. ????

So, I decided to dig into this fascinating subject and share my findings with you. Please note that this is not a scientific article, but rather information to support an inquisitive mind. Let’s let our brains soak up some sunshine together! ??

When was solar energy first used?

In theory, solar energy was used by humans as early as the 7th century B.C. when humans used sunlight to light fires with magnifying glass materials. Later, in the 3rd century B.C., the Greeks and Romans used solar power with mirrors to light torches for religious ceremonies. These mirrors became a normalized tool referred to as "burning mirrors." Chinese civilization documented the use of mirrors for the same purpose later in 20 A.D.

Another early application of solar energy was the use of "sunrooms" in buildings. These rooms featured large windows to capture and direct sunlight into specific areas, a practice that remains popular today.

When were solar panels invented? ??

The journey of solar panels began in 1839 when Edmond Becquerel, a young French physicist, discovered the photovoltaic effect, where light increases electricity generation when two metal electrodes are placed in a conducting solution. This foundational discovery laid the groundwork for later advancements in photovoltaic technology, particularly with selenium.

In 1883 Charles Fritts, american inventor, created the first ever solar cells. His creations, made by covering a semi-metallic element called selenium with a thin layer of gold and placed on a New York City rooftop, were 1-2% efficient. Modern solar cells, by comparison, boast efficiencies exceeding 20%. So, Fritts created what was a low impact solar cell, but still, it was the beginning of photovoltaic solar panel innovation in America.

In 1888, American inventor Edward Weston proposed a method to convert solar energy into electrical and mechanical energy, further advancing the technology. That same year, Russian scientist Aleksandr Stoletov created the first solar cell based on the photoelectric effect, a phenomenon where light induces electron emission from a material.

However, solar cells as we know them today are made with silicon, not selenium. Therefore in 1954, researchers at Bell Labs in New Jersey made the first commercially viable solar cell with silicon.? It was the first instance of solar technology that could actually power an electric device for several hours of a day.? That cell had an efficiency of around 6%????

Efficiency ??

In 1960 Californian company Hoffman Electronics made a solar cell with 14% efficiency, and the race was on.

The 20% mark was passed in 1985 by scientists at the University of New South Wales, then in 1989, aerospace company Boeing surpassed 30% for the first time with a multifunction cell.

It took a bit longer to reach 40% efficiency, but in 2006, Californian company Spectrolab finally managed it.

The record high for solar cell efficiency now lies with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany, where researchers made it to 47.6% in 2022.

However, it’s difficult to turn this progress with solar cells in laboratory conditions into solar panels with the same levels of efficiency.

The most efficient solar panels ??

The most efficient solar panels on the market at the moment are:

?? The 620-watt edition of AIKO’s ABC White Hole Series, which is 24% efficient;

?? SunPower's Maxeon 7 Series with? efficiency of up to 22.8%;

?? LONGi Solar's Hi-MO 7 Series with efficiency of up to 22.5%.

What a fascinating journey solar energy and its progress has had, has and will have :) Of course, there are many problems in this area that I am also interested in exploring and sharing my discoveries with ya ??