From the earliest days of solar-powered satellites to modern rooftop arrays and utility-scale solar farms, this is the complete history of solar energy—and a look at its exciting potential in the years to come. Though solar energy has found a dynamic and established role in today's clean energy economy, there's a long history behind photovoltaics (PV) that brought the concept of solar energy to fruition. With the way the cost of solar has plummeted in the past decade, it's easy to forget that going solar. Solar energy may seem like a modern development, but its story actually dates back nearly two centuries. The discovery of the photovoltaic effect in 1839 laid the groundwork for today's solar panels, but it would take many decades of innovation to transform this novel concept into the. Long before the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, generating awareness about the environment and support for environmental protection, scientists were making the first discoveries in solar energy. It all began with Edmond Becquerel, a young physicist working in France, who in 1839. The first three concentrated solar power (CSP) units of Spain's Solnova Solar Power Station in the foreground, with the PS10 and PS20 solar power towers in the background Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using. Here you can learn more about the milestones in the historical development of solar technology, century by century, and year by year. You can also glimpse the future. Magnifying glass used to concentrate sun's rays to make fire and to burn ants. Greeks and Romans use burning mirrors to light. The history of solar power is not as recent as some may think as the technology has existed since the 19th century and has received substantial government support since at least the 1970s.