History of Solar
1940’s
- • Bell Labs produces solar PV for the U.S. Government
- • Western Electric licenses solar cells and charges $1,800 per watt
1950’s-1960
- • Efficiencies increase from 2% to 13%
- • Costs decrease from $1,000 to under $100 per watt
1970’s
- • OPEC Oil Crisis occurs during Carter administration
- • Focuses on domestic energy production puts PV on White House
- • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is formed
1980’s
- • Average world oil prices fall by 50% - Reagan takes PV off the White House
1990’s
- • Demand for PV increases in Japan, Germany, and Israel—leads to Kyoto Protocol
- • U.S. becomes proactive and calls for utility deregulation and Clean Energy Fund
2000’s
- • Germany, Spain, Japan, U.S. become top producers of solar electric renewable energy
- • Government mandates will force utilities and companies to comply with 20% renewable energy
- • Production by 2012. Federal and state incentives become more readily available.
