| Photovoltaics |
A journey through PV history
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Due to an increased sensitivity to environmental concerns and limited access to fossil fuels, production systems have been developed that use natural reusable sources to create energy. One of the most common methods uses photovoltaic glass to convert solar rays into energy.
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 Photovoltaic (PV) technology is one of the cleanest sources of energy: it produces neither noise, smoke, acid rain, water pollutants, carbon dioxide nor nuclear waste because it relies on the power of the sun for its fuel. At the same time, silicon, the raw material used for most PV cells, is abundant and non-toxic.
The history of photovoltaic technology begins when nineteen-year-old Edmund Becquerel published his observations regarding the photovoltaic phenomenon of materials. Although this publication was considered interesting it did not suggest any practical applications.
35 years later, in 1873, Willoughby Smith discovered photovoltaic effects in selenium. His student William G. Adams took a great step forward by discovering that illuminating a junction between selenium and platinum also produces a photovoltaic effect.
These two discoveries became the bases for the first solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 1-2% introduced by Charles Fritts. This invention demonstrated an early potential for practical applications. And yet, neither commercial nor industrial applications materialized immediately.
The industrial revolution and the use of fossil fuels delayed research in the area of photovoltaic energy. Until 1960 this type of technology was considered futuristic and usable only for special applications due to high costs in the research and manufacturing processes. Due to the energy crises of the seventies many governments were forced to consider alternative technologies. This lead to the rapid development of the photovoltaic program. Photovoltaics have improved conversion efficiencies and resulted in cheaper production methods. Today we can encounter photovoltaic in a wide variety of applications for commercial, industrial and science purposes.
Although PV cells cannot yet compete economically with other ways of generating energy, they are gaining ground due to a generally increasing concern for the environment, supporting regulations and public subsidies.
More information about photovoltaic history is available on the selected links.
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Photos: CNN
Last review: January, 2005 |
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