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World's First Solar Panel Cell, Built 60 Years Ago, Still Works

by Caleb Johnson on April 15, 2010 at 07:25 AM


Plenty of people talk about 'green' technology these days, but we rarely consider where it all started. No, it wasn't with Al Gore. According to the Daily Mail, the world's first solar panel was recently discovered and put on display last week at a British antiques show. Most surprising of all, the device still works almost 60 years after it was created.

A British science teacher built the orb-shaped panel in 1950 because he wanted to prove to his friends that it was possible to harness sunlight and turn it into electricity. As a model, he used a 1946 patent for a junction semiconductor by American Russell Ohl. When he was finished, the cell could create about 1.5-volts of electricity, which is enough to power a modern-day digital watch. "The solar panel is a real boys' toy -- a slice of scientific history," said Fred Nickson, the panel's owner, to the Mail. Nickson bought the solar panel from the inventor's distant relative, who had simply put it away in a box and forgotten about it.




Thankfully, scientists and engineers have learned a thing or two about solar power since the first cell was built. After all, can you imagine having your roof lined with a bunch of glass orbs? Not to mention, you'd need an army of them just to power a reading lamp. [From: Daily Mail]

Tags: antiques, electricity, green, renewable energy, RenewableEnergy, solar, solar power, SolarPanels, sunlight

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