Scattered records of the use of coal date to at least 1100 BC.

The fossil fuels are then burned to heat water.

When sunlight strikes a solar cell, electrons are knocked loose. They move toward the treated front surface. An electron imbalance is created between the front and the back. When a connector, like a wire, joins the two surfaces a current of electricity occurs between the negative and positive sides

1839: Nineteen-year-old Edmund Becquerel, a French experimental physicist, discovered the photovoltaic effect while experimenting with an electrolytic cell made up of two metal electrodes. 1873: Willoughby Smith discovered the photoconductivity of selenium.

How much of the world's energy does the United States use? In 2009, world total primary energy consumption was 483 Quadrillion Btu. The United States' primary energy consumption was about 95 Quadrillion Btu, about 20% of the world total. Learn More: International Energy Statistics: Total Primary Energy Consumption Last updated: July 9, 2012

How much solar energy is used in the world? Global capacity for solar energy production reached 39.8 GigaWatts (0.0398 terawatts) in 2010 . Here are the top 10 solar energy producing countries in the world:

United States (1,650 MW

just over 843,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity were provided by solar power. The vast majority of that, more than 666,500 kWh, were produced in California. Roughly 14 percent of the total renewable energy generated in the U.S. in 2008 was solar energy. And remember that these numbers continue to grow each year. The solar industry has been growing on an average of 30-40 percent each year, and as the industry grows, so will the amount of clean, renewable power it puts out. Interested in Home Solar Energy? Fill in your details below and certified solar contractors will give you FREE estimates. What type of Solar Energy services are you interested in? * Please Select Solar Electrical Solar Thermal First Name * Last Name * Zipcode *

Using the sun's power has been around as early as the 7th century B.C. when people were using it to build fires. It is hypothesized that in 2nd century B.C. Archimedes used the reflective surfaces of bronze shields to burn ships invading Syracuse. However, it was not until 1973 when the Greek navy actually experimented with the notion and successfully burned a wooden ship at 50 meters. Sunrooms were common in houses and public buildings in the 6th century A.D. These were so common that "sun rights" were given to individuals. Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure was credited with building the world’s first solar collector in 1767. For a more descriptive timeline, this timeline lists the milestones in the historical development of solar technology from the 7th century B.C. up to today.

Using the sun's power has been around as early as the 7th century B.C. when people were using it to build fires. It is hypothesized that in 2nd century B.C. Archimedes used the reflective surfaces of bronze shields to burn ships invading Syracuse. However, it was not until 1973 when the Greek navy actually experimented with the notion and successfully burned a wooden ship at 50 meters. Sunrooms were common in houses and public buildings in the 6th century A.D. These were so common that "sun rights" were given to individuals. Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure was credited with building the world’s first solar collector in 1767. For a more descriptive timeline, this timeline lists the milestones in the historical development of solar technology from the 7th century B.C. up to today.

Solar energy originates in the depths of our sun. The sun endures a continuous stream of thermonuclear explosions as hydrogen atoms are fused into helium atoms. We encounter the resultant energy as radiation that strikes the surface of the earth.