The combined health, environmental, and climate benefits of a solar panel in New Jersey are fifteen times greater than those associated with one in Arizona, and a wind turbine in West Virginia displaces twice as much carbon dioxide as the same turbine would in California.
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.
"Today's photovoltaic systems are used to generate electricity to pump water, light up the night, activate switches, charge batteries, supply power to the utility grid, and much more.
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.
1876:
Adams and Day observed the photovoltaic effect in solid selenium.
1883:
Charles Fritts, an American inventor, described the first solar cells made from selenium wafers.
1887:
Heinrich Hertz discovered that ultraviolet light altered the lowest voltage capable of causing a spark to jump between two metal electrodes.
1904:
Hallwachs discovered that a combination of copper and cuprous oxide was photosensitive. Einstein published his paper on the photoelectric effect.
1914:
The existence of a barrier layer in PV devices was reported.
1916:
Millikan provided experimental proof of the photoelectric effect.
1918:
Polish scientist Czochralski developed a way to grow single-crystal silicon.
1923:
Albert Einstein received the Nobel Prize for his theories explaining the photoelectric effect.
1951:
A grown p-n junction enabled the production of a single-crystal cell of germanium.
1954:
The PV effect in Cd was reported; primary work was performed by Rappaport, Loferski and Jenny at RCA. Bell Labs researchers Pearson, Chapin, and Fuller reported their discovery of 4.5% efficient silicon solar cells; this was raised to 6% only a few months later (by a work team including Mort Prince). Chapin, Fuller, Pearson (AT&T) submitted their results to the Journal of Applied Physics. AT&T demonstrated solar cells in Murray Hill, New Jersey, then at the National Academy of Science Meeting in Washington, DC.
1955:
Western Electric began to sell commercial licenses for silicon PV technologies; early successful products included PV-powered dolla
