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The history of solar energy is an American success story.
Since the creation of the first silicon solar cell 70 years ago, solar leaders have been innovating, improving efficiency, lowering costs, and growing this American-born technology into an essential part of our nation&#;s energy system.
In , solar accounted for over 50% of new electricity generating capacity added to the grid and employs over 260,000 Americans. With over 179 GW of installed capacity and growing, the solar and storage industry has become an American energy powerhouse.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has been at the forefront of the solar revolution for the last 50 years. As SEIA continues to fight for the expansion of reliable, low-cost solar power, here is a look back at significant solar milestones over the last 70 years.
: Bell Labs Introduces the First Silicon Solar Cells
The New York Times Front Page, April 26,
In April , Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson made the first silicon-based solar cell at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. While other types of solar cells have existed since the s, these new silicon solar cells produced power five times more efficiently, setting the stage for the future of solar energy. On April 26, , The New York Times covered the story on its front page. The article called the invention &#;the beginning of a new era, leading eventually to the realization of one of mankind&#;s most cherished dreams &#;&#; the harnessing of the almost limitless energy of the sun for the uses of civilization.&#;
: Hoffman Electronics Creates 14% Efficient Solar Panel
Over the next six years, researchers improved solar cell efficiency as businesses and manufacturers began to develop more advanced solar technology. Hoffman Electronics, a manufacturer of radios, televisions, and solar cells, contributed several early breakthroughs in solar cell efficiency. In , the corporation produced a 14% efficient solar cell &#;&#; more than double the efficiency of the original silicon-based solar cells. Hoffman Electronics also mass-produced a range of solar-powered products, including a solar-powered radio.
: The United Nations Holds &#;New Sources of Energy&#; Conference
As research on solar energy continued, governments began considering its implications on an international scale. The United Nations held a conference on applications of solar, wind, and geothermal energy in Rome from August 21-31, . About half of all papers that were presented at the conference discussed applications of solar energy, showcasing an international effort to develop solar power.
: The First Earth Day
Alongside early developments in clean, solar energy came an increasing concern for the environment. For many Americans, recent oil spills, polluting power plants, and wildlife extinctions highlighted the need for environmental protections. Sharing these concerns, Senator Gaylord Nelson and activist Denis Hayes promoted Earth Day as a day of environmental activism. 20 million people participated in demonstrations across the country on April 22, , the first ever Earth Day, ushering in the modern environmental movement.
: &#;Solar One&#; Opens
Throughout the s, innovators applied solar technology to ground-breaking projects, including solar homes. In , researchers at the University of Delaware built the first house to integrate solar photovoltaic cells. The building, named &#;Solar One,&#; used heat and electricity converted from sunlight.
: SEIA is Founded
In , six solar energy experts and pioneers met to establish the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) in Washington, DC. SEIA&#;s founders &#;&#; Jim Edison, Peter Glazer, James Ince, Yahya Safdari, Sam Taylor, and Fred Morse &#;&#; were among the first solar business leaders, solar energy researchers, and industry experts. They agreed the new trade association should be &#;broad-based&#; and support the &#;prompt, orderly, widespread, and open growth of solar energy resources now.&#; The U.S. solar industry faced several early obstacles as it was being established. However, SEIA soon began to play a central role in building a profitable solar industry, including working to integrate solar energy into the policies of the Carter Administration. Over the next 50 years, SEIA continued to support and advocate for solar energy, and now represents over 1,200 member companies in all sectors of the industry.
: Congress Passes the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act
Four years after SEIA&#;s founding, Congress passed the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), one of the first federal policies to promote renewable energy sources. The act, which followed the s energy crisis, was meant to encourage energy diversity, reduce energy costs, and introduce competition in the electric sector. The legislation birthed the concept of independent power producers and set the stage for modern energy markets.
: Jimmy Carter Installs Solar Panels on White House
In a historic gesture, President Jimmy Carter installed 32 solar panels on the White House roof. During his presidency, Carter fought for clean energy use amidst an energy crisis and an increasing concern for climate change. At the dedication ceremony, Carter told the crowd: &#;Solar energy will not pollute our air or water. We will not run short of it. No one can ever embargo the Sun or interrupt its delivery to us. But we must work together to turn our vision and our dream into a solar reality.&#;
: First Utility-Scale Solar Farm in U.S. Begins Operation
The Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) pioneered utility-scale solar power generation in . ARCO opened a 1.1 megawatt (MW) operation in Hesperia, California, the first industrial solar power plant in the country. The company later opened a larger, 5.2 MW solar power plant in Carrizo Plain, California. The plant in Carrizo Plain operated from to and had one of the largest photovoltaic arrays in the world.
: First State Net-Energy Metering (NEM) Program
As solar became more practical, states began to implement the first net metering programs to compensate residential and commercial solar customers for the excess energy they export back to the grid. Minnesota became the first state to enact a net metering law in , allowing solar consumers generating less than 40 kilowatts to receive export compensation. The policy was among the first to incentivize and support the installation of distributed solar energy systems.
: First Solar Power International Conference
SEIA and the solar industry continued to expand throughout the s and s. In , SEIA and the Solar Electric Power Association united to organize the first Solar Power Conference, later renamed Solar Power International and then RE+. The San Francisco event attracted over 1,000 attendees, including industry leaders, utility representatives, and policymakers. Today, the event attracts over 40,000 attendees annually.
: The Energy Policy Act of Passes
The Energy Policy Act of was a landmark achievement for SEIA and the solar industry. Following SEIA&#;s steadfast advocacy, the law included the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The solar ITC has proven to be the most important federal policy to support solar growth in the United States, driving hundreds of thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars of investments. Since , SEIA has successfully advocated for multiple extensions of the ITC, including its long-term extension in the Inflation Reduction Act of . Since the passage of the Energy Policy Act, the solar industry has grown by over 200x.
: First Community Solar Program Launches
The same year that the ITC was enacted, the city of Ellensburg, Washington installed a new community solar facility &#;&#; the first of its kind in the nation. The community solar project generated 110 kilowatts of energy, allowing local residents to access the cost-saving benefits of solar energy even if they can&#;t install it directly on their roof.
: U.S. Solar Capacity Reaches 1 GW
With improving technology, falling costs, and federal policy support, the United States officially eclipsed one gigawatt of solar electric generating capacity in . California accounted for half of all installed solar capacity at the time.
: SunShot Initiative Launches
To help the growing U.S. solar industry become more competitive, the Department of Energy (DOE) launched their &#;SunShot&#; initiative in . The initiative aimed to lower solar energy costs by 75% by the end of the decade, bringing large-scale solar costs on par with other forms of energy. With increased economic competitiveness, the DOE looked to expand domestic solar installations and re-establish U.S. leadership in the global solar market.
: President Obama Installs Solar Panels on White House
Throughout his presidency, Barack Obama promoted clean energy and pushed for action on climate change. In , he released a Climate Action Plan calling for a historic expansion of clean energy and setting ambitious targets for solar power. To showcase his support for solar, Obama became the third U.S. president to install solar at the White House, following former presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush.
: U.S. Solar Industry Surpasses 200,000 Workers
With federal policies supporting the growing solar industry, the U.S. surpassed 200,000 solar workers in , marking a record-breaking year for the industry. The solar workforce continued to rise, providing well-paying, family-supporting jobs to communities across the country.
: First U.S. City Reaches 100% Renewable Power
Burlington, Vermont became the first city in the country to be entirely powered by renewable sources in September . Today, Vermont gets 19% of its electricity from solar energy.
: First State Sets 100% Renewable Electricity Goal
Hawaii set a precedent in by becoming the first state to pass a goal to reach 100% renewable electricity. The plan increased the state&#;s initial goal of 70% clean energy by to 100% renewable electricity by , with solar contributing a significant portion. Today, 23 states have a 100% clean energy goal.
: The U.S. Reaches 1 Million Solar Installations
Four decades after the first grid-connected solar installation, the U.S. solar industry hit a major milestone in when it surpassed 1 million solar installations. It was so significant that even President Obama was impressed.
Solar continued to grow at record speed, reaching 2 million installations just 3 years later.
: Utility-Scale Solar Costs Falls Below $1/Watt
In , the U.S. solar industry hit a &#;SunShot&#; Initiative goal three years ahead of schedule when average utility-scale solar prices fell below $1/watt for the first time ever. Considering this early success, the DOE began looking towards their SunShot goals, which aims to reduce the cost of solar-generated electricity by 50% between and .
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: Congress Enacts the Inflation Reduction Act
In August of , President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, supercharging clean energy investments and transforming the future of the U.S. solar industry. SEIA and Wood Mackenzie predict that the IRA will lead to more than half a trillion dollars of new solar investments by . Truly transformational.
: Solar Accounts for Over 50% of New Electricity Capacity Added to the Grid
Solar accounted for over 50% of new electricity capacity added to the grid in with a record-shattering 32.4 GW of new installations. This marks the first time in 80 years that a renewable electricity source has accounted for over half of annual capacity additions. Expect this trend to continue in the years ahead.
: SEIA Celebrates 50 Years
SEIA has been at the forefront of each of these milestones over the last 50 years, championing countless policies and initiatives to establish the multi-billion-dollar solar and storage industry we know today.
Solar is the fastest-growing sector of the energy industry, and SEIA will continue to lead the way to deliver greater economic opportunities, lower energy bills, and a more resilient and reliable grid.
Despite the sun being billions of years old, how humans have harnessed its energy as a renewable source is relatively new!
The utilization of solar energy has come a long way. Let&#;s start from the beginning and walk through all the vital points in time for the solar energy industry and beyond.
This timeline lays out the important scientific discoveries that led to determining how to utilize solar energy and how it has become more efficient and cost-effective over the years.
Interestingly, although solar panels are an excellent energy source, the United States government was originally slow to fully embrace their potential.
The first time that solar seemed like a &#;better option than fossil fuels&#; was during the oil embargo of when gas shortages were rampant within the U.S. Interest in energy independence grew and with it, the beginning of solar incentives came to be.
Years later, to help boost the economy and embrace American independence, President Jimmy Carter asked Americans to practice energy conservation and began encouraging PV technology investments. He even went as far as putting solar panels on the White House.
Historically, the U.S. lagged behind other countries in embracing solar, but this is beginning to reverse. Additionally, solar is now cheaper than coal so it now makes more economic sense to switch to renewables, like solar arrays, than to remain invested in fossil fuel plants.
Take a look at the brief history of the key events that led to solar power becoming the success that it is today.
While experimenting with metal electrodes and an acidic solution, nineteen-year-old French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel creates the first solar cell. This solar cell was known as a photovoltaic cell, which could carry an electric current from light.
Becquerel is credited with discovering the photovoltaic effect, which is how a solar cell operates.
First functioning solar panels on a New York City rooftop. Source: Smithsonian Magazine
Charles Fritts, an American inventor, created the first functioning solar modules with solar cells made from selenium wafers. A man named Willoughby Smith discovered that selenium was photovoltaic.
The first solar panels were installed atop a New York City rooftop but were very inefficient, with an energy conversion rate of only 1%.
Edward Weston received the first U.S. patent for a &#;solar cell,&#; which helped garner more interest in solar research &#; ultimately leading to more efficient solar panels.
At the turn of the 20th century, Nikola Tesla received the U.S. patent for &#;the method of utilizing, and apparatus for the utilization of radiant energy.&#;
In simpler words, the first U.S. patent for solar panels!
World-renowned physicist Albert Einstein published a paper on the theory behind the &#;photoelectric effect,&#; which officially proved how the sun creates energy through solar cells. This paper went on to win the Nobel Prize in .
Fast forward a few decades, Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin, and Calvin Fuller, all of whom were physicists at Bell Labs, exhibit the first high-power silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) cell that increased energy conversion efficiency by using silicon instead of selenium wafers.
Sharp Corporation, a Japanese electronics company, produced a viable PV module of silicon solar cells, which led to the successful mass production of solar panels.
Japan installed a 242-watt PV array on a lighthouse &#; the world&#;s largest array at that time.
NASA launches the first Nimbus satellite with a 470-watt PV array after the successful launch of Vanguard I by the Naval Research Laboratory.
A rise in solar research drove PV costs down a whopping 80%, allowing for different solar panel uses to be tested and adopted. At the time, these were mostly for off-grid use.
The University of Delaware builds &#;Solar One&#; &#; one of the world&#;s first PV-powered buildings. The building was powered by PV panels and solar thermal energy combined.
Electronics company Kyocera begins production of thin-film silicon ribbon crystal solar modules. The creation of these modules helped to simplify the manufacturing process.
The U.S. Department of Energy establishes the U.S. Solar Energy Research Institute in Golden, Colorado. This organization is known today as the National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL), and it is in charge of renewable energy research for energy independence.
This German program, established in , supported the installation and expansion of PV systems larger than 1 kilowatt (kW). The $500 million dollar project was pivotal in developing a viable residential solar industry. Japan had a similar subsidy program for 70,000 roofs a few years prior.
The Energy Policy Act of created a 30% investment tax credit (ITC) for commercial and residential solar energy systems. The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of helped to extend this credit.
This is what we know today as the federal solar tax credit&#;the biggest incentive in the United States for homeowners and businesses to go solar.
The California Public Utilities Commission launched the California Solar Initiative (CSI), a 10-year, $3 billion solar subsidy program. The funding went towards solar incentive programs in California for low-income single and multi-family homes.
The CSI program was well-received by the market, with a higher&#;than&#;expected application volume. It closed in .
The late s was a crucial time for the growth of solar energy. Global investment in clean energy exceeds $100 billion, with solar energy as the leading clean energy technology for venture capital and private equity investment. The solar tax credit helped to create unprecedented growth in the U.S. solar industry from to .
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of included an eight-year extension of the federal tax credit, eliminated the monetary cap for residential solar electric installations, and allowed utilities and companies to qualify for the tax credit.
During this time, the global cost of solar modules falls from approximately $5 per watt to $1 per watt. This is mainly due to strong subsidies in Germany and new subsidy programs in Spain, Italy, and Australia.
Residential solar system installations become cost-effective for the average American household. From to alone, the average price of residential solar fell from $6.62 per watt to $4.67 per watt.
By , the price decreased even further to $3.36 per watt, leading to more residential solar power being installed in the U.S. in 18 months than ever before.
Image courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Motors, announces the company&#;s entry into the energy market.
The first Tesla Powerwall was unveiled as a lithium-ion storage product for homeowners. At the time, the Powerwall cost the astonishingly low price point of $3,500 &#; making it possible for average American households to store solar power generated during the day for use at night.
Tesla has released four variations of Powerwall models since .
The passing of the IRA in was one of the most transformational clean energy policy approvals in U.S. history.
The policy extended the federal solar tax credit until the end of . It also provided billions in funding to state energy offices to expand rebate and incentive programs, as well as incentives to increase domestic solar manufacturing.
Now is the best time to save by installing solar panels on your home. The federal tax credit ensures you save on your installation by 30%, and solar costs are more affordable than ever! Use our free solar calculator to find out the costs, incentives, and returns you would get by installing solar panels.
Calculate how much solar panel cost for your home based on local installation prices
The utilization of solar power has passed many milestones since its inception. The growth of residential solar was slow at first but is quickly gaining traction due to lower costs and its superiority over fossil fuels.
Here are some of today&#;s top solar industry highlights:
For more interesting facts about solar energy: 10 fun facts about solar energy
Find out how much you can save by going solar
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