PV Gap

Alicia Said:

who invented the first solar energy panel?

We Answered:

Wow, Jonathan.H.Solar, eh? There is no such person.

Edmund Becquerel in 1838 was the first to publish findings of "photovoltaic" properties of certain substances.

In 1873 Willoughby Smith while experimenting with underwater telegraph cables observed the light sensitivity of the element selenium. He later posed the possibility of a selenium solar cell.

In 1883, Charles Fritz produced the first practical solar cell. It had a conversion efficiency of 1-2%.

Look at the third link for a pretty decent history of solar energy.

Regards,

-JL

Priscilla Said:

Who made solar panels?

We Answered:

Many people think that solar power is a new concept. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Harnessing power from the sun has been dated back to ancient civilizations.

The below link is a timeline researched by the Department of Energy that outlines the major historical milestones of solar power.

Craig Said:

What do you know about Solar Panels?

We Answered:

It's always good to start with wikipedia for an overview.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel

Alberto Said:

Designing 3d Solar Panels?

We Answered:

I thought about your plan. I think it may work. But you may have to invest some amount in trying that out.
Do you think the beam would go straight without any losses? Will there be any significant benefits of this method over the currently used big solar panels?
Or can this method offer a better alternative than having solar panels all over the roof tops? I think these questions need to be answered before one goes for a 3d solar panel. Anyways, it may require a lot of tweaking to prepare a practically usable solar panel.
If one has to design a solar energy panel for home, one should better go for a cheap solar energy rooftop panel. It can be a homemade panel and can be done without technical knowledge. Some good solar panel systems setup guides are available online http://HomeEnergyMethods.com/

Sonia Said:

Solar Panels!!???!!!?

We Answered:

Solar Panels are collections of solar cells. These panels basically collect the incoming sun's electromagnetic radiation and convert it into electrical energy.

A solar cell is any device that directly converts the energy in light into electrical energy through the process of photovoltaics. The development of solar cell technology begins with the 1839 research of French physicist Antoine-César Becquerel. Becquerel observed the photovoltaic effect while experimenting with a solid electrode in an electrolyte solution when he saw a voltage develop when light fell upon the electrode.