History of photovoltaic technologies (1839-2021) : almost two centuries of discoveries, innovations and human adventures

From Edmond Becquerel's discovery of the photovoltaic effect in 1839, to the deployment of terrestrial photovoltaics at the beginning of the ^21st century, a series of milestones have been reached, the history of which we will analyze in the context of the times. Two periods will be distinguished: that of incubation, lasting almost a century until the discovery of silicon cells in 1941, then that of the development of modern photovoltaics, which was born of the conquest of space, based on fundamental scientific advances, the ongoing discovery of new materials and processes, and finally the boom in terrestrial applications. The role of French research and industry will be highlighted.