News

August 19, 2008

An Introduction To Solar Power: Where Are We, And Where Are We Going?

By Andrew Adamson

Solar power was first observed in 1839 by Edmund Becquerel, who noted, “electric currents arose from certain light-induced chemical reactions”. But it was not until 1954 when three scientists working at Bell Labs (now Lucent) in Princeton, New Jersey, announced the production of a six per cent efficient solar cell that solar took its first step towards becoming a viable source of power. Since then, solar power has improved considerably in terms of technology and efficiency. However, it still only accounted for 0.1 per cent of the 27-terawatt hours of electricity generated last year.

There are two main types of solar technology: photovoltaic, in which light striking a solar cell causes a chemical reaction that generates an electrical current, and solar thermal, where the heat from light is used to heat water or buildings, or drive turbines to produce electricity.

Photovoltaic (PV) technology can itself be split into two main types: traditional silicon-based solar cells, which are used to produce solar panels, and thin-film solar, which is 200 times lighter and uses about...