Solar power and photovoltaic technologies have had an amazing evolution. As early as 1839, a conductive solution was observed experiencing the photovoltaic effect.
Melvin Severy received solar power’s first noteworthy patents back in the 1890’s.
Albert Einstein even published a paper on the photoelectric effect in 1904.
Hoffman Electronics created an efficient solar cell in 1959. About a decade later, Soyuz 1 became the first manned spacecraft powered by solar cells.
Even the president, George Bush, became involved in solar in 1991 as he directed the establishment of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Various politicians have continued the trend of encouraging advancements in solar, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposing a solar roof initiative in 2004 and President Barack Obama ordering the installation of solar panels at the White House in 2010.