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Solar Cells

Solar cells utilize the photovoltaic effect to convert sunlight into electricity. When a bunch of these little cells are assembled together, this is known as either a panel or module. When solar panels are installed together, this is called a photovoltaic array. The field under which this technology falls is known as the field of photovoltaics.

The effect optimized by solar cells was first discovered in 1839. The physicist responsible for this was French. His name was A.E. Becquerel. It was not until 1883, however, that the first of these cells was built. This was accomplished by a man known as Charles Fritts.

The technology of today's solar cells has its origins in 1954. It was at this time the Bell Laboratories discovered that silicon was sensitive to light. This only happened provided it had been doped with certain impurities. The first practical device resulting from this was invented by Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson.

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