Earliest example of solar panels discovered

Article date : 12/04/2010

A gadget which is believed to be the earliest example of modern solar panels has been discovered and despite being 60 years old it still works.

According to the Daily Mail, the appliance, which is on show at the Antiques for Everyone show at Birmingham's NEC, was invented in 1950, by a UK science teacher who was convinced sunlight could be converted into electricity.

Decades on, the technology of the device - which looks similar to a crystal ball - still works and can generate enough power to run a digital watch.

Fred Nickson, the antiques expert who purchased the device, said: "The inventor built the contraption after people took the mickey out of him when he explained what he wanted to do."

He explained that it converts sunlight into electricity using the mineral selenium and is based on the junction semiconductor idea patented in 1946 by Russell Ohl.

Earlier in the month, the government launched its feed-in tariff scheme, where Britons using solar panels to power their own homes will receive a cash payment, while they will get more for any electricity they direct to the National Grid.

Posted by Tony Harrison

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