Solar energy has an interesting history with its first, more primitive uses being as early as the 7th century B.C. The photovoltaic effect was discovered in the year
1839 by French Scientist Edmond Becquerel. Photovoltaic technology as we know it today was officially born in
1954, when Daryl Chaplin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Peterson developed the first silicon photovoltaic cell at Bell Labs. Solar panels have come a long way since their invention and have advanced tremendously in recent years.