Who invented solar panels? When were solar panels invented?

Solar energy is nothing new. In its most primitive state, energy from the sun has been revered and put to use almost as long as man has walked the earth.

The first uses of solar power involved focusing the energy of the Sun through a magnifying glass to fuel cooking fires. By the 3rd century B.C., Romans and Greeks for religious ceremonies bounced the sunlight off “burning mirrors” to light sacred torches.

In ancient times sunrooms were designed to harness solar energy for its natural warmth. Such rooms typically facing south have caught, and filtered sunlight from the iconic Roman bathhouses to Native American adobes, and are still common in many modern homes today.

One legend in Greek solar history is of the scientist Archimedes setting fire to besieging wooden ships from the Roman Empire. The story goes that he reflected the sun’s light off of shields, concentrating the rays and attacking the enemy before they made landfall.

Think of it as some sort of ancient laser solar beam. Whether or not that happened in the time of Archimedes is unverified. Yet, in the 1970s, the Greek navy conducted this experiment with solar power. They set fire 50 meters away to a wooden test ship using nothing but the mythical bronze shield and the strength of solar light.

The History Of Solar Panels | Suggested Sites | History, Facts. https://findhistoryhere.com/the-history-of-solar-panels/