Following is a brief timeline of events that relate to solar energy and its development.
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400 B.C.
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Greeks are the first to orient their houses to make use of the sun to trap solar heat during winter.
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1767
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Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure builds the world’s first solar collector.
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1860s
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French mathematician August Mouchet constructs the first solar-power engines, using an early type of solar dish collector.
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1890
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French scientist Henry Becquerel observes the photovoltaic effect — the production of electricity directly from the sun — while experimenting with an electrolytic cell made up of two metal electrodes placed in an electricity-conducting solution.
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1891
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American inventor Clarence Kemp patents the first solar water heater.
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1950s
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In Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Architect Frank Bridgers designs the world’s first commercial office building to use solar water heating systems as its primary source for interior heat.
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1954
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Inventors at Bell Labs in the United States develop the first photovoltaic cell capable of generating enough power from the sun to run electrical equipment.
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1958
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Solar PV cells are being used in small-scale scientific and commercial applications.
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1960s
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Solar PV cells are first used to power orbiting satellites in the U.S. space program.
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1970s
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The oil crisis of the 1970s sees the beginning of major interest in using solar power from PV cells. Industry developments and research make solar PV cells feasible for powering remote applications, including telecommunications.
By the end of the 1970s, there are more than 100 solar manufacturers and equipment suppliers in the United States.
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1980s
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A 354-megawatt solar power plant is built in California’s Mojave Desert. The plant uses a trough system to concentrate solar energy to produce the steam needed to run a conventional power generator.
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1990s
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As public concerns about environmental issues such as air pollution and climate change grow, governments in Canada and elsewhere take a greater interest in using renewable energy as a way to decrease greenhouse gases and other emissions.
Japan launches a program to subsidize the cost of PV cell installations for individuals. PV systems are installed in thousands of homes.
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2004
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Global production of solar PV cells reaches 1,256 megawatts. This is a 67 per cent increase over the 750 megawatts installed in 2003.
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