How long has Solar PV technology been around?
A. In 1838 the photoelectric effect was discovered by physicist Edmund Becquerel although it wasn’t until the 1950’s that the technology was developed enough to produce efficient working cells. During the 50’s and 60’s Solar PV was put on satellites and sent into orbit but it was still too expensive for general use. The next few decades brought better technology with lower prices and Solar PV was installed in world-wide remote villages to provide electricity for where there was no supply. Grid-connected Solar PV has had a massive growth since 1990’s in the more developed countries of the world.
