The World’s first solar panel still works!

60 years ago a British science teacher was laughed off by his peers when he said the he could turn sunlight into electricity. He set out to prove them wrong, and after hours in his lab, created a device that used a mineral called selenium (a semi-conductor), to convert sunlight into energy- he had developed the world’s first solar panel.

Although the photovoltaic effect was first observed in 1839 by French Physicist Alexandre Becquerel, it was not until 1883, when Charles Fritts(an American inventor) built the first ever solar cell using selenium( a semi-conductor). Russel Ohl, an American engineer, is credited with creating the first ever silicon solar cell, in 1941.

The solar panel had been stored away for 60 years, all but forgotten until last year when a relative of the Professor came across the project. That’s not even the biggest news, since it was discovered that the equipment, which was built 60 years ago, still worked!

Selenium releases electrons when exposed to sunlight, and the panel channels these electrons to produce electricity. This is very similar to the process used by modern day solar panels, with the exception that solar panels today can generate electricity using indirect lighting in the environment rather than just direct sunlight. When exposed to direct sunlight, this solar panel can produce 1.5 volts of electricity; enough to operate a digital watch today.

The Professor could not have imagined the extent to which the same idea is being applied in modern-day green-energy endeavors. If only he could have seen the growing use of solar technology around the world today, he could have said to his colleagues: “who’s laughing now?’

Church Plans to Go Green by Installing Solar Panels

So far, numerous parties in commercial setups along with private homeowners have taken up solar energy as an alternative energy source, but the idea is still relatively new to places of worship. However, Coventry Cathedral plans to change that by being the first such setup in Britain, and possibly the world, to install solar panels on its roof, according to The Telegraph.

Although the project is far from the implementation stage, it has gained attention because of the leverage it provides to the renewable energy sector. Churches have the potential to positively influence public opinion in and certainly, greater awareness solar power among church goers will go a long way in the fight towards climate change. In other words, this helps tackle the old problem of energy scarcity and global warming from a new angle.

Agreed, the installation of solar panels upon the rooftop will reduce the church’s energy bill, but that is not the main motivation for the project. Typically, users of solar power systems (aka, photovoltaic systems) have three reasons for their choice:

• Financial Concern: Long term reduction in electricity bills
• Environmental Concern: Saving the environment
• Other: the house or commercial setup may be too far away from the national grid to access traditional electricity, hence some form of alternative energy is used, be it solar power technology or wind power technology.

In the case of Coventry Cathedral, the concern is largely environmental and it’s good to know religious setups are interested in this issue as well.

Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity through photovoltaic cells; hence these systems are often referred to as photovoltaic systems as well.

Solar Power Projects in Asia - Asian Development Bank

In an attempts to curtail the negative effects of climate change, the Asian Development Bank has called for a massive investment of $10 billion in solar power to make this technology competitive enough to rival conventional energy sources.

The targets are tough. As per Reuters, “the ADB wants Asia, home to about two-thirds of the world's population, to add 3,000 megawatts of solar energy capacity by the end of 2013.”

The countries that will be targeted are densely populated and boast emerging economies, hence they are already energy-starved – these include China, India and Pakistan, where some solar power projects are already up and running.

The ADB hopes to create an environment where commercial lending from banks is rife and private investment is encouraged, so as to bolster the industry from the financial perspective. This is vital because currently the cost of setting up solar panels is pretty high and it is only economical in areas where the national electric grid is unavailable.

Nevertheless, research and development in this area has greatly reduced the cost of manufacturing efficient photovoltaic cells (which are used to create solar panels) and further funding promises better returns.

Other financial institutions are beginning to realize the importance of solar energy in Asia. For instance, Grameen Shakti, a microfinance institution in Bangladesh, offers microloans to buyers and suppliers of solar power, and these projects are quite affordable.