The History of Solar Power

Solar power—also known as solar energy—has been growing in both popularity and usefulness over the last few decades. In 2008, the United States had only 0.34 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity. Now, that capacity has grown to over 97 GW, which is enough to power around 18 million American homes. But, when, where, and how did this all start? In this article, we’ll focus on the history of solar power and how we got to where we are today.

Solar Power History Timeline

Solar power history technically dates back to the 7th Century B.C. when humans used materials similar to a magnifying glass to refract sunlight in order to start fires. Later, in the 3rd Century B.C., the Greeks and Romans both used “burning mirrors” that reflected sunlight to light torches for religious ceremonies. However, we’ll focus primarily on the more recent history of solar power. Namely, we’ll highlight the most important events since the discovery of the photovoltaic effect and the creation of modern solar panels.

• 1839 - A French physicist named Edmond Becquerel discovers the photovoltaic effect
  
• 1873 - The photoconductivity of selenium is discovered by Willoughby Smith
  
• 1876 - Richard Evans Day and William Grylls Adams discover that selenium produces electricity when it is exposed to light

• 1880 - The bolometer is invented by Samuel P. Langley. The device is used to measure energy from the sun’s heat rays

• 1883 - Charles Fritts produces the first solar cells made using selenium wafers

• 1905 - Albert Einstein publishes a paper on the photoelectric effect, which would help further the development of solar technology
  
• 1954 - The modern silicon photovoltaic (PV) cell is developed at Bell Labs in the United States by Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin, and Calvin Fuller. This marks the first solar cell that has the capacity to convert enough energy from the sun into power to run everyday electrical equipment
  
• 1958 - The Vanguard I—a U.S. Naval Research Laboratory satellite—is launched into space. The satellite utilizes small solar panels to power its radios

• 1964 - NASA launches Nimbus I, which is the first satellite to run completely on its 470-watt photovoltaic array

• 1974 - The U.S. government pushed for the development of solar power technologies as a solution to the energy crisis

• 1977 - The Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) is launched by the U.S. Department of Energy to focus on harnessing the sun’s power. SERI would be redesignated as  the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 1991
  
• 1993 - The first grid-supported photovoltaic system is installed in Kerman, California by Pacific Gas & Electric 

• 1998 - Scientist Subhendu Guha invents flexible solar shingles that can be used as a roofing material that converts sunlight into electricity

• 2000 - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) install solar panels, making the ISS the largest solar power array ever deployed in space

• 2001 - Residential solar power systems are sold for the first time to the public at The Home Depot

• 2001 - Helios—NASA’s solar-powered aircraft—sets a new world record for an aircraft not powered by rocket fuel. It flew 96,863 feet, which is more than 18 miles high
• Today - Solar energy technologies continue to be developed and advanced. Millions of homes in the United States have installed solar panels. Companies are even working to make solar-powered cars. There are also solar kits, which offer a flexible and portable option that produces energy that can be used to power various devices. As we move into the future, the use of solar energy will continue to grow and change the world thanks to all of these individuals who played a role in developing technologies to harness it

The Elumis Foundation believes that no child should be left in the dark. Our goal is to use solar kits to bring light to families and children around the world who don’t have access to electricity. With the renewable power of the sun, we can change the lives of people all around the world, give them opportunities they wouldn’t have without access to electricity, and help our planet in the process. Find out how you can get involved and help us make a difference today!

About the Elumis Foundation

The Elumis Foundation is a certified non-profit organization that was created in 2018 by siblings Eva and Michael Sakellakis (ages 15 and 13), looking to make a difference. Their father, who has his own successful solar business Elumis, helped and inspired them to form the foundation. Together they formed a Non-Profit 501(c)3 organization. This allows all donations to be tax-deductible by the donors. 100% of all donations received will fund the distribution of solar kits to be given to families who do not have electricity in impoverished areas of the world.

Elumis’ goal is to bring light to families and kids without that privilege through solar kits. These solar kits are powered through solar panels and can provide light and electricity for a family for up to 24 continuous hours. The Foundation has already made its first donation of 1000 solar kits in Vietnam and plans to distribute more kits to third-world countries throughout Africa, South East Asia, Central America, and India. Our goal is to distribute at least 100,000 kits to families in need.