How Long Have Solar Panels Existed? Tracing 180+ Years of Photovoltaic Innovation

While modern solar installations might seem like 21st-century marvels, the journey began with Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel's 1839 discovery of the photovoltaic effect. This French physicist's accidental revelation showed that certain materials produce small electric currents when exposed to light - a phenomenon that would take nearly a century to translate into practical applications. [2021-03-24 14:25]