Solar power is a concept that many people have only become aware of in the past decade or so as it gains popularity, and environmental concerns become greater. However, the science that helped discover this type of power dates way back to the 1800s. There is a long history and a lot of work that went into making those panels that you can now get at your local solar company in Erie, CO.

The history of solar power dates back to 1839, when the photovoltaic effect was first discovered. However, at this time, the new discovery was only used as a means for measuring light. It wasn’t until 1883 that the first working solar cell was invented, and then in 1888 there was a patent on solar cells. From here, some people started to realize that it was a way to get some energy from the sun, and in 1891 there was a commercial water heater invented that worked off of solar energy. After this brief period of interest, it appeared that the trend had started to die down, until a few years later.

There weren’t any further advancements of note in solar technology until 1905, when Albert Einstein published a paper on the photoelectric effect. This created a growth in popularity in the science of solar energy, although there wouldn’t be much progress to note until much later. There was still a long way to go until the technology grew to create what you see from a solar company in Erie, CO.

In 1954, the first modern solar cell was finally created. However, it was extremely inefficient, so it was not very useful. Although it was not as great for creating energy as one may have hoped, it created some interest in improving the model, allowing for more people to start working on the design in order to fix it. It was a source of hope, showing people that there were alternative ways to get energy out there. After it became more apparent that fuel shortage was going to end up being a problem, even more work was done until the solar panels of today were created. Even today there is more technology trying to increase the efficiency of these inventions.

Although its history was long and slow, the solar panel is now becoming one of the fastest advancing forms of alternative energy. With its clean and renewable properties, it is even more important now than ever since there are so many concerns about the environment and energy costs. Visiting a solar company in Erie, CO is a great way to see how far the technology has come, as well as consider getting involved and installing your own system.