In 1839, the 19-year-old Frenchman Becquerel discovered the "photovoltaic effect" when he did a physics experiment and found that the electric current of two metal electrodes in a conductive liquid would be strengthened when they were irradiated with light.

In 1930, Langel proposed for the first time the use of the "photovoltaic effect" in the manufacture of solar cells to turn solar energy into electricity.

In 1932, Audubot and Stora produced the first "cadmium sulfide" solar cell.

In 1941, Odu found photovoltaic effect on silicon.

In May 1954, the United States Bell Labs Chabin, Fuller and Pearson opened the efficiency of 6% of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, which is the world's first practical value of solar cells, the same year Wick first discovered a photovoltaic effect of nickel arsenide, and nickel sulfide film deposited on the glass, made of solar cells, solar practical photovoltaic power generation technology from the birth and development of up.