Technological advances, such as updates to the photovoltaic cell,  continue to push solar energy forward and help it join mainstream society. Perhaps the largest breakthrough in thrusting solar energy onto the main stage was the invention of the modern silicon solar cell, which by all accounts, was a mistake. Early inventions paved the way

Born in Paris, Edmond Becquerel (1820-1891), a French physicist in 1839, is known for his studies in the solar spectrum, magnetism, electricity and optics. He is best known for his discovery and unraveling the key principle to solar energy cells, the photovoltaic effect. He received his doctorate from the University of Paris,