Solar power was first discovered by French physicist Edmond Becquerel in 1839 at the young age of 19. At the time, Becquerel was experimenting in his father's lab when he observed the photovoltaic effect, a process that generates electricity when exposed to sunlight. His process involved placing. . Solar energy was not "invented" by a single person; its history includes key discoveries and innovations over centuries. The word “Photovoltaic” takes us to the beginning of solar history: “Photo” meaning light and “Voltaic” meaning electricity. While Becquerel demonstrated the effect, he didn't. . Before the first modern solar panels were invented by Bell Laboratories in 1954, the history of solar energy was one of fits and starts, driven by individual inventors and scientists.
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