The history of solar energy spans nearly 200 years, from a French physicist’s laboratory observation in 1839 to today’s rooftop arrays generating a meaningful share of UK household electricity – and most of the dramatic cost and efficiency progress has happened remarkably recently, within the last two decades. Understanding this timeline helps explain why solar has gone from a niche, expensive technology to a genuinely mainstream choice so quickly.
The Early Discovery: 1839 to 1954
French physicist Edmond Becquerel first observed the photovoltaic effect in 1839, noticing that certain materials produced a small electric current when exposed to light. Progress remained largely theoretical for decades – Willoughby Smith discovered the photoconductivity of selenium in 1873, and Charles Fritts built the first genuine (if extremely inefficient, under 1%) selenium solar cell in 1883. It took until 1954 for Bell Labs researchers Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller and Gerald Pearson to develop the first practical silicon solar cell, achieving around 6% efficiency – a genuine breakthrough, though still far from commercially viable for everyday use.
The Space Race and Early Applications: 1958 to the 1970s
Solar’s first major practical application was in space – the Vanguard 1 satellite, launched in 1958, used solar cells to power its radio transmitters, proving the technology’s reliability in conditions far harsher than any earthbound use. Terrestrial adoption remained minimal and expensive throughout the 1960s, largely confined to remote or specialist applications where the (very high) cost per watt was acceptable given the alternative was no power at all.
The 1970s Oil Crisis Sparked Renewed Government Interest
The 1973 oil crisis, which caused sharp fuel price spikes and supply anxiety across the West, prompted significant government-funded research into alternative energy sources, including solar, across the US, Europe and Japan. This period saw meaningful efficiency improvements and the first serious industrial-scale manufacturing investment, though costs remained far too high for mainstream residential adoption throughout the 1980s and much of the 1990s.
Germany\u2019s Feed-in Tariffs and the 2000s Manufacturing Boom
Germany’s Energiewende policy, including generous feed-in tariffs introduced from 2000 onwards, created strong demand that drove massive investment in solar manufacturing, particularly in China, which rapidly scaled production and drove costs down dramatically through the 2000s and into the 2010s. This period is when solar transitioned from a genuinely niche, subsidy-dependent technology towards something approaching mainstream cost-competitiveness in many markets.
The UK\u2019s Own Feed-in Tariff Scheme: 2010 to 2019
The UK introduced its own domestic Feed-in Tariff scheme in April 2010, guaranteeing payments for solar-generated electricity that drove a significant residential solar boom over the following decade. The scheme closed to new applicants in April 2019, replaced from January 2020 by the Smart Export Guarantee, which pays for exported electricity at rates set by individual suppliers rather than a fixed government-guaranteed tariff.
Solar Reaches Grid Parity Without Subsidy
Through the 2010s, panel costs fell so dramatically (often cited as roughly a 90% decline over the decade) that solar reached “grid parity” in many markets – meaning it became cost-competitive with conventional grid electricity without needing subsidy at all. This is the single biggest reason today’s solar market operates so differently from a decade ago, when generous feed-in tariffs were essentially required to make the economics work for most households.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1839 | Photovoltaic effect discovered (Edmond Becquerel) |
| 1883 | First selenium solar cell built (Charles Fritts) |
| 1954 | First practical silicon solar cell (Bell Labs) |
| 1958 | Vanguard 1 satellite proves solar in space |
| 1973 | Oil crisis sparks renewed government research funding |
| 2000 | Germany introduces feed-in tariffs, sparking global manufacturing scale-up |
| 2010 | UK launches its own domestic Feed-in Tariff scheme |
| 2019 | UK Feed-in Tariff closes to new applicants |
| 2020 | Smart Export Guarantee replaces Feed-in Tariff |
Where Solar Stands Today
Solar has moved from a genuinely niche, expensive technology to one of the most widely installed forms of renewable generation in the UK and globally, driven by continued cost declines, improving efficiency (mainstream panels now regularly exceeding 22%), and growing household and business demand for lower energy bills alongside genuine environmental motivation. Our guide on UK solar power statistics covers exactly how far adoption has come in numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions About the History of Solar Energy
Who first discovered how to generate electricity from sunlight?
French physicist Edmond Becquerel first observed the underlying photovoltaic effect in 1839, though it took until 1954 for Bell Labs to develop the first genuinely practical silicon solar cell, and considerably longer still for the technology to become affordable for typical household use.
Why did solar panels become so much cheaper over the last 20 years?
Primarily due to massive manufacturing scale-up, largely centred in China, driven initially by strong demand from government incentive schemes like Germany’s feed-in tariffs from 2000 onwards. Economies of scale and continued efficiency improvements compounded over roughly two decades to bring costs down by around 90%.
What replaced the UK\u2019s Feed-in Tariff scheme?
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), introduced in January 2020, replaced the closed Feed-in Tariff. Unlike the old scheme’s fixed government-guaranteed rate, SEG rates are set individually by each electricity supplier and can vary considerably, so shopping around for a competitive SEG tariff is now part of getting good value from solar.
