Severy's "Apparatus for Mounting and Operating Thermopiles," patented October 9, 1894Īlmost a decade later, American inventor Harry Reagan received patents for thermal batteries, which are structures used to store and release thermal energy. “By the combination of these two movements, the face of the pile can be maintained opposite the sun all times of the day and all seasons of the year,” reads the patent. The “thermos piles,” or solar cells as we call them today, were mounted on a standard to allow them to be controlled in the vertical direction as well as on a turntable, which enabled them to move in a horizontal plane. Severy’s second patent from 1889 was also meant for using the sun’s thermal energy to produce electricity for heat, light and power. The first generated “electricity by the action of solar heat upon a thermo-pile” and could produce a constant electric current during the daily and annual movements of the sun, which alleviated anyone from having to move the thermopile according to the sun’s movements. In 1894, American inventor Melvin Severy received patents 527,377 for an "Apparatus for mounting and operating thermopiles" and 527,379 for an "Apparatus for generating electricity by solar heat." Both patents were essentially early solar cells based on the discovery of the photoelectric effect. Today, solar cells use the photoelectric effect to convert sunlight into power. In his research, Hertz discovered that more power was created by ultraviolet light than visible light. This effect was first observed by a German physicist, Heinrich Hertz. That same year, a Russian scientist by the name of Aleksandr Stoletov created the first solar cell based on the photoelectric effect, which is when light falls on a material and electrons are released. In this instance, light creates heat, which creates electricity this is the exact reverse of the way an incandescent light bulb works, converting electricity to heat that then generates light. ” Light energy is focused via a lens (f) onto the solar cell (a), “a thermopile (an electronic device that converts thermal energy into electrical energy) composed of bars of dissimilar metals.” The light heats up the solar cell and causes electrons to be released and current to flow. For both patents, Weston proposed, “to transform radiant energy derived from the sun into electrical energy, or through electrical energy into mechanical energy. Only a few years later in 1888, inventor Edward Weston received two patents for solar cells – U.S. Named after Italian physicist, chemist and pioneer of electricity and power, Alessandro Volta, photovoltaic is the more technical term for turning light energy into electricity, and used interchangeably with the term photoelectric.Įdward Weston's "Apparatus for Utilizing Solar Radiant Energy," patented September 4, 1888. So, Fritts created what was a low impact solar cell, but still, it was the beginning of photovoltaic solar panel innovation in America. Most modern solar cells work at an efficiency of 15 to 20 percent. Fritts reported that the selenium module produced a current “that is continuous, constant, and of considerable force.” This cell achieved an energy conversion rate of 1 to 2 percent. Take a light step back to 1883 when New York inventor Charles Fritts created the first solar cell by coating selenium with a thin layer of gold. From France to the U.S., inventors were inspired by the patents of the mathematician and filed for patents on solar-powered devices as early as 1888.Ĭharles Fritts installed the first solar panels on New York City rooftop in 1884. He began registering patents for solar-powered engines in the 1860s. A few decades later, French mathematician Augustin Mouchot was inspired by the physicist’s work. It all began with Edmond Becquerel, a young physicist working in France, who in 1839 observed and discovered the photovoltaic effect- a process that produces a voltage or electric current when exposed to light or radiant energy. Long before the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, generating awareness about the environment and support for environmental protection, scientists were making the first discoveries in solar energy.
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