As any solar company in Louisville, CO, can tell you, there have been a lot of advancements in the technology involved since it was first discovered in 1839. Now, it is widely available for businesses and individuals alike, allowing for a safer environment as well as lower energy costs for many people who choose to install them. Here are some changes that have been seen over the years.

The panels found at a solar company in Lafayette, CO got their start over a century ago when the photovoltaic effect was discovered in 1839 by a French scientist by the name of Edmond Becquerel. His findings, published in the 1860s, involved the reaction of voltage and electric current inside a solar cell when it is exposed to sunlight. This generates the movement of electrons inside the panels.

In 1873, the findings were expanded upon by Willoughby Smith, an engineer from England. He discovered that Selenium was photoconductive, which means that it is capable of conducting electricity based on the intensity of light that it is exposed to. The cells in panels began being made from Selenium a decade later by Charles Fritts, an American inventor.

The expansion of solar technology seemed to slow down some until 1953 when the technology was revisited. This time, silicon was used to produce the cells instead. Science also began to look at how best to increase the amount of energy produced as well as the effects that weather had on the efficiency of the cells. In the later 50s, more companies were starting to adopt the technology including the navy. This helped make it become better known and more popular.

The 60s and 70s were where the panels really started to gain popularity. However, for the average person, they were much too rare and expensive to be used. Prices began to decline as the technology evolved, especially thanks to Dr. Elliot Berman, who made it cheaper by using a lesser grade of silicon as well as other cost-effective materials for packaging. This technology hit the Americas in the 70s, and in 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed acts authorizing more research and development for the technology. Today, it is still being researched and many homes can easily upgrade to this technology.

Solar panels have come a long way in the past century with most of their breakthroughs happening in the past 60 years or so. Now, you can see this type of technology in several pieces of equipment, helping to make the lives of people, as well as the environment, a better place. The technology continues to grow and hopefully soon, renewable sources of energy will replace those that are non-renewable and cause excess pollution.