What is Photovoltaic Event?
Photovoltaic is the direct conversion of light into electricity at the atomic level. Some materials exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect, which causes them to absorb photons of light and release electrons. When these free electrons are captured, an electric current is created that can be used as electricity. The photoelectric effect was first noted in 1839 by French physicist Edmund Bequerel, who discovered that some materials produce small amounts of electric current when exposed to light. In 1905, Albert Einstein described the nature of light and the photoelectric effect on which photovoltaic technology is based, and later won a Nobel prize in physics. The first photovoltaic module was made by Bell Laboratories in 1954. It was billed as a solar cell and was mostly just a curiosity as it was too expensive for widespread use. In the 1960s, the aerospace industry first began to make serious use of technology to power spacecraft. Thanks to space programs, technology advanced, reliability was ensured and costs began to decrease. During the energy crisis of the 1970s, photovoltaic technology gained acceptance as a power source for extra-space applications.