The solar panel has come a long way, but what about its origins. Specifically, who came up with the idea of the solar panel?
The name photovoltaic solar panel is derived from the Greek word phos meaning light and the name Volta, after the Italian physicist who developed the concept of voltage. Combined, this yields photovoltaic – of light and electricity. The credit for inventing the photovoltaic solar cells is generally given to Alexandre-Edmund Becquerel, a French physicist. However, equal credit must be given to Charles Fritts, Russell Ohl, and scientists at Bell laboratories.