The History of Alternative Energy

The History of Alternative Enrgy A look at innovative energy technologies of the past and present 700 B.C. 214 B.C. All the way back in the 7th century, people figured out they can also use a magnifying glass to produce fire. A Greek inventor, Archimedes, destroyed enemy ships with fire during the Siege of Syracuse with a "heat ray," which was a collection of mirrors that concentrated sunlight onto ships. Photovoltaic Effect 1839 Edmund Becquerel, a French physicist, discovered that there is a creation of voltage when a material is exposed to light. Little did he know that his discovery would lay the foundation of solar power. 1876-1883 The first observation of an electrical current when a material was exposed to light. They used two electrodes on a plate of selenium, and observed a tiny amount of electricity when the plate was exposed to light. Charles Fritts was the first to come up with plans for how to make solar cells. 1905 Albert Einstein is famous for a wide variety of scientific milestones. He formulated the photon theory of light, which describes how light can "liberate" electrons on a metal surface. 1954 Albert Einstein David Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson of Bell Labs are credited with the world's first photovoltaic cell (solar cell). These men made the first device that converted sunlight into electrical power. Today CUSTOM SOLAR Use of solar energy is increasing at a rapid rate of an estimated 30% per year. AND LEISURE Demand for solar energy products is currently greater than supply. Thanks to increased competition from manufacturers and DIY solar energy kits, the cost of solar panels is falling. http://customsolarandleisure.com/ http://energyinformative.org/the-history-of-solar-energy-timeline/