Timeline of Solar Cells - 1960-1979

1960-1979

• 1960 - Hoffman Electronics creates a 14% efficient solar cell.
• 1961 - "Solar Energy in the Developing World" conference is held by the United Nations.
• 1962 - The Telstar communications satellite is powered by solar cells.
• 1963 - Sharp Corporation produces a viable photovoltaic module of silicon solar cells.
• 1964 - Farrington Daniels' landmark book, Direct Use of the Sun's Energy, published by Yale University Press.
• 1967 - Soyuz 1 is the first manned spacecraft to be powered by solar cells
• 1967 - Akira Fujishima discovers the Honda-Fujishima effect which is used for hydrolysis in the photoelectrochemical cell.
• 1968 - Roger Riehl introduces the first solar powered wristwatch.
• 1970 - First highly effective GaAs heterostructure solar cells are created by Zhores Alferov and his team in the USSR.
• 1971 - Salyut 1 is powered by solar cells.
• 1973 - Skylab is powered by solar cells.
• 1974 - Florida Solar Energy Center begins.
• 1974 - J. Baldwin, at Integrated Living Systems, co-develops the world's first building (in New Mexico) heated and otherwise powered by solar and wind power exclusively.
• 1976 - David Carlson and Christopher Wronski of RCA Laboratories create first amorphous silicon PV cells, which have an efficiency of 1.1%.
• 1977 - The Solar Energy Research Institute is established at Golden, Colorado.
• 1977 - President Jimmy Carter installs solar panels on the White House and promotes incentives for solar energy systems.
• 1977 - The world production of photovoltaic cells exceeded 500 kW
• 1978 - First solar-powered calculators.
• Late 1970s: the "Energy Crisis"; groundswell of public interest in solar energy use: photovoltaic and active and passive solar, including in architecture and off-grid buildings and home sites.