Who Invented Solar Panels?

A Swiss scientist by the name of Horace de Saussure designed and built the first solar collector in 1767. Well that certainly goes back some time and looks at who was harnessing the sun's energy, but he did not turn the sun's energy into electricity.

A young 19 year old scientist had that privilege by the name of Edmund Becquerel in 1839. He had turned energy from the sun into electricity, known as the "photovoltaic effect". Not that it was a bad thing but it was very inefficient and not very practical for the time. Therefore, like so many other great discoveries it sat idle for many years.

Build Solar Panels - Is it Really Worth it?

Do you remember when you were a young kid and you were focusing your magnifying glass on a bug in the hot, noon-day sun? When you did that, you were concentrating the sun's rays and creating solar power. You probably thought it was just being a little bit naughty, but what you were doing was a precursor to today's modern solar power panels.

You can build solar panels at home and do more than cook some defenseless bugs. You can generate power for your appliances, heat your water, and even send power back to the electric company for them to sell (at a profit!). When you build and install a solar panel system you will see your utility bills plummet quickly and forever.