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Evolution of Solar energy

400 BC: Greeks used passive solar to heat Buildings

100: Romans improved by using glass to trap heat in the buildings and green houses

1700: Antoine LaVoisier built a solar heater

1839-Edmund Becquerel discovers photovoltaic effect while working with electrolytic cell

1860: The First Solar Motor, heated water used to drive a steam motor, Auguste Mouchout

1877- Photovoltaic effect observed in solid Selenium and first selenium cell produced

1883- First solar cells described

1900: The photoelectric effect was discovered.

1904- Einstein published paper on photovoltaic effect

1916- Millikan provided experimental proof of photoelectric effect

1918: Polish scientist Czochralski developed a way to grow single-crystal silicon.

1941: American Russell Ohl invented a silicon solar cell

1953- American scientist makes first theoretical efficiency calculations based on sun’s spectrum

1954- First demonstrations of solar cells

1955 First International Conference on Solar Energy

1956- First thought of using solar cells for orbiting satellites

1962- First commercial telecommunications satellite launched

1973- “Solar One”, one of world’s first solar residences, constructed

1975- US Government initiates terrestrial solar power research and development

1977- Solar Energy Research Institute begins operation

1982- Volkswagen begins testing PV arrays on cars

1992- Solar power system installed at research facility on Antarctica

1996- World’s most advanced solar plane flies over Germany

1999- First successful balloon trip around world powered by solar cells

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