Photovoltaic Systems
Module 1 — Introduction to Photovoltaics
A Brief History of PV
2020 DTU Fotonik — Rasmus Nielsen 1
The First Solar Cell
Incidental light
Platinum electrodes
• 1839: Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic
effect in an electrochemical experiment.
• 1873: Willoughby Smith discovered photoconductivity in selenium.
This was the first observation of a change in resistivity when Electrolyte
illumination a material. Separating
membrane
• 1877: William Adams and Richard Day built the first ever solid
state solar cell. By placing two platinum electrodes on an Incidental light
illuminated rod of solidified selenium, it was for the first time proven
that a solid body can directly convert light into electrical energy. Platinum electrode Sintered selenium
• 1883: Charles Fritts built a small “module” of selenium cells
(A = 30 cm2) with an efficiency of almost 1 % .
Glass tube
[K. Mertens: Photovoltaics - Fundamentals, Technology and Practice, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2018]
2020 DTU Fotonik — Rasmus Nielsen 2
Einstein, Czochralski and Shockley
• 1905: Albert Einstein published a paper
describing the photoelectric effect using
quantum mechanics.
• 1916: Polish chemist Jan Czochralski
developed a crystal growth technique
making it possible to grow high quality
semiconductor crystals - +
(initially Ge, but later also Si). P - + N
- +
• 1950: William B. Shockley , co-inventor
of the transistor, presented an explanation E − field
of how a pn-junction functions.
+ -
[K. Mertens: Photovoltaics - Fundamentals, Technology and Practice, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2018]
2020 DTU Fotonik — Rasmus Nielsen 3
The Emergence of Silicon Solar Cells
• 1954: The first silicon solar cell was developed by Daryl
Chapin, Calvin Fuller and Gerald Pearson in the Bell labs. The
device had an area of A = 2 cm2 and an efficiency of 6 % .
• The device combined the concept of the a pn-junction
(Shockley) made from silicon (Czochralski) with the theory of
the photovoltaic effect (Einstein).
• 1958: Solar cells go into space! Vanguard 1 was the first
satellite equipped with solar cells. It operated for 6 years using
six silicon solar cells attached to its surface.
• Throughout the 1960s the development of solar cells was
driven by space flight.
4
[K. Mertens: Photovoltaics - Fundamentals, Technology and Practice, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2018]
2020 DTU Fotonik — Rasmus Nielsen
From Space to Earth
• 1973: The oil crisis brought about an
interest for alternative sources of energy.
• 1977: Sandia Laboratories started
developing solar modules aimed for
economical mass production.
• 1979, 1986: Nuclear power plant
accidents in Harrisburg and Chernobyl,
respectively.
• The annual average growth rate of
globally installed PV capacity has been
≈ 40 % .
2020 DTU Fotonik — Rasmus Nielsen 5
Summary
• In 1839, Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect.
• In 1877, William Adams and Richard Day built the first ever solid state solar cell, by placing two platinum
electrodes on a rod of sintered selenium.
• In the first half of the 20th century, three historic milestones in PV were made, namely Albert Einstein’s
paper on the photoelectric effect, Jan Czochralski’s method of growing large high quality crystals, and
William Shockley’s explanation of the pn-junction.
• In 1954, the first ever silicon solar cell (η = 6 % ) was fabricated by Daryl Chapin, Gerald Pearson and
Calvin Fuller in the Bell Labs. However, as a result of the high cost, solar cells were mainly used in space
throughout the 1960’s.
• In 1973, the oil crisis brought about an interest for new alternative sources of energy. The globally installed
PV capacity has increased rapidly ever since.
2020 DTU Fotonik — Rasmus Nielsen 6
