Imagine the 19th century. There were no solar power plants, no solar panels on rooftops, and no electric cars. And then, a young scientist noticed something unusual — light could produce electricity.
1839, Paris. Alexandre Edmond Becquerel.
He was only 19 years old. In his father’s laboratory, he experimented with two metal electrodes placed in a conductive liquid. When light fell on one of the electrodes, an electric current was produced. Becquerel had observed a phenomenon that we now know as the photovoltaic effect. Later, he discovered another interesting detail: blue light produced a particularly strong response.
It was a small experiment, but its significance was enormous.
Alexandre Edmond Becquerel:
“Light itself is the cause of the observed effect.”
This was the conclusion he reached after ruling out the possibility that the effect was simply caused by heating.
Decades passed. In 1873, English engineer Willoughby Smith discovered that the electrical properties of selenium changed when exposed to light. In his research, he described how the resistance of selenium changed depending on the intensity of the light.
Then came the first solid-state solar cells. In 1883, Charles Fritts created a solar cell using selenium covered with a thin layer of gold. Its efficiency was less than one percent, but the idea already worked: light could be transformed into electricity.
A major breakthrough came in 1954. Researchers at Bell Laboratories developed the first practical silicon solar cell. What had started as a small laboratory experiment was now becoming a technology capable of providing energy for homes, businesses, and eventually entire cities.
But the story did not end there.
Today, scientists are working to make solar cells thinner, lighter, and more flexible. One of the most promising technologies is the perovskite solar cell. These materials can be deposited in very thin layers, and researchers have even experimented with applying perovskites almost like ink.
Joseph Berry, researcher at NREL:
“There isn’t another technology you can do this with.”
And this is where the story gets really exciting.
Solar energy is gradually moving beyond large, rigid panels installed on rooftops.
The future could look very different: flexible solar coatings, lightweight solar cells on unusual surfaces, and solar energy in places where traditional panels would be difficult or impossible to install.
In 1839, Becquerel simply directed light onto an experimental setup.
Today, scientists are working to make almost any suitable surface a potential source of energy.
From a small moment of scientific curiosity to a huge global idea — turning the light that surrounds us every day into electricity.
And perhaps the most amazing part of this story is that it is still being written.
Read the article: A Heart from a Printer: Science Fiction or Our Future?
