Learn About Solar - Fun Facts

As the best local solar installation company in California, we at Forme Solar always focused on taking your solar panel project seriously, as if it were for our own homes. However, we also recognize the funny and clever kinds of stuff around electricity and the solar industry.

Great solar installation companies typically have a fun and interesting history full of fascinating facts you never knew. For fun, check out these exciting facts that you may not have known about solar that you can share with your friends or bring to your next trivia night!

Fun Facts About Solar Energy and Electricity

Solar energy is quite a magnificent phenomenon. Nobody doubts that the technology works. The biggest question about solar energy is if you can find a reputable company to handle your installation. Here are some fun facts about Solar Panels and Energy!

Fun Sun Energy-Related Facts

• The term "watt" was named after James Watt, inventor of the steam engine. 
• Before the discovery of electricity, people used pieces of hot metal to iron their clothes.
• Leonardo Da Vinci concluded that the sun does not move and that there would be solar industrialization.
• The solar PV (photovoltaic) effect was founded in 1839 by a French physicist, A.E. Becquerel.
• Selenium was found to conduct photoconductivity in 1873 by English electrical engineer Willoughby Smith. 
• On October 19th, 1879, the first light bulb ran for 13.5 hours. 
• Solar panels perform better in colder climates. (Despite needed the sun's radiation, colder temperatures with a lot, so sunlight creates more voltage per sunlight hour.) 
• California averages 6.5 hours of peak sunlight per day. (See how you can calculate how many solar panels I need)
• The radiation from the sun that hits the earth for 1 hour could power the planet for a year.
• One ton worth of sand needed to make silicon cells can produce as much electricity as burning 500,000 of carbon based fuels. 
• The first working PV cell was built by an American inventor, Charles Fritts, using selenium and gold. 
• Bell Laboratories in 1954 developed the first silicon solar cell. 
• The United States launched the first solar-powered satellite, the Vanguard I, in 1958. 
• The distance between the sun and earth is approximately 90 million miles. It takes 8 minutes and 19 seconds for energy to travel from the sun to planet earth. 
• Electricity travels at the speed of light, that's more than 186,000 miles per second! 
• In 2017 the United States was 2nd in the amount of renewable energy adopted. China was first, and Germany came in third. 

Best Fun Fact About Solar Energy

The best fact about solar is that its cost is the inverse of oil. The more solar panels that are produced, the less they will cost. The more oil consumed, the more it will cost. In 1973, a substantial breakthrough was developed that allowed Solar Power Corporation (SPC) to produce panels at $10 per watt in comparison to $100 per watt only a few years ago. Solar is an incredible invention that gets cheaper while carbon-based fuels get even more expensive! This is why solar is the cornerstone to sustainability.

See if going solar can benefit you! Call us at 714-694-2262 or request a quote today!