Molly Ayala
Humans have been harnessing energy from renewable sources such as the sun, wind, and water for thousands of years. However, the first use of renewable sources to generate electricity came about in the late 1800s with hydropower. In 1880, Michigan's Grand Rapids Electric Light and Power Co. used hydropower to generate DC electricity, powering 16 arc street lamps. In 1882, the world's first central DC hydroelectric station was built in Appleton, Wisconsin. The first solar panel to produce an electric current was also built in the 1800s, discovered by French scientist Edmond Becquerel in 1839. In 1941, the first 1.25-MW wind turbine was connected to the grid in Castleton, Vermont.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First source of energy | Sun |
| First source of energy consumption in the US | Wood, in 1775 |
| First use of hydropower to generate electricity | Henry Rogers, in Wisconsin |
| First electric street car | Built by Werner von Siemens in Germany in 1881 |
| First central DC hydroelectric station | Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1882 |
| First solar panel to produce an electric current | Built in the 1800s |
| First wind-powered turbine connected to the grid | Grandpa's Knob, Castleton, Vermont, in 1941 |
| First offshore wind farm in the US | Block Island, Rhode Island, in 2016 |
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What You'll Learn
Hydropower
In the 1880s, the first hydroelectric power plants came into being in the United States, with H. J. Rogers, a businessman in Appleton, Wisconsin, connecting an Edison dynamo to a waterwheel on the Fox River. By August 1886, 40 to 50 hydroelectric power plants were online or under construction in the United States and Canada, taking advantage of nearby water sources to generate electricity. In 1893, the first US commercial installation of an alternating current hydropower plant took place at the Redlands Power Plant in California.
In the 20th century, rapid innovations and changes in hydropower facility design took place. Policies enacted by US President Franklin Roosevelt, including the New Deal in the 1930s, supported the construction of several multipurpose projects such as the Hoover and Grand Coulee dams, with hydropower accounting for 40% of the country’s electricity generation by 1940. By 2021, global installed hydropower electrical capacity reached almost 1,400 GW, the highest among all renewable energy technologies. Hydropower development has gained renewed momentum in the 21st century, particularly across Asia and South America.
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Solar power
French physicist A.E. Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect in 1839. He found that when gold or platinum plates were submerged in a solution and exposed to uneven solar radiation, an electrical current was generated. This inspired French mathematician Augustin Mouchot, who began registering patents for solar-powered engines in the 1860s. This, in turn, inspired inventors in the US, who filed for patents on solar-powered devices as early as 1888.
In 1888, inventor Edward Weston received two patents for solar cells. He proposed to "transform radiant energy derived from the sun into electrical energy, or through electrical energy into mechanical energy". That same year, Russian scientist Aleksandr Stoletov created the first solar cell based on the photoelectric effect. In 1894, American inventor Melvin Severy received patents for an "Apparatus for mounting and operating thermopiles" and an "Apparatus for generating electricity by solar heat", which were early solar cells based on the photoelectric effect.
In 1905, Albert Einstein discovered light particles known as "photons", for which he won the Nobel Prize in physics. He predicted that photons above a certain energy level would eject electrons, leading to modern semiconductor technologies, including solar cells. In 1954, scientists at Bell Labs created the first modern solar cell, although it was terribly inefficient. In the early 1970s, there was a surge of renewed interest in solar energy as a renewable source of electricity.
Solar panels are usually made from silicon or another semiconductor material. When exposed to sunlight, they release electrons and produce an electric charge. This direct current (DC) electricity is then converted to alternating current (AC) by an inverter. AC is the type of electrical current used when plugging appliances into normal wall sockets.
In recent years, solar power has become an increasingly important source of renewable energy. In 2022, global solar generation capacity exceeded 1 TW for the first time, and most new renewable capacity between 2022 and 2027 is forecast to be solar. The UK's first transmission-connected solar farm was energised in May 2023, and the US Department of Energy has outlined a blueprint for a zero-carbon grid, with solar energy set to play a significant role.
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Wind power
Windmills were extensively used in food production in Persia, the Middle East, and China by the 11th century. The Dutch developed large windpumps to drain lakes and marshes in the Rhine River Delta. In the 19th century, wind-electric generators (wind turbines) were widely used. The first electricity-generating wind turbine was installed by Austrian Josef Friedländer at the Vienna International Electrical Exhibition in 1883.
In 1887, Professor James Blyth of Anderson's College in Glasgow (now Strathclyde University) created the first wind turbine for electricity production. His 10-metre-high, cloth-sailed wind turbine was installed in the garden of his holiday cottage in Marykirk, Kincardineshire, making it the first house in the world to have its electricity supplied by wind power. He offered the surplus electricity to the people of Marykirk for lighting the main street, but they turned it down, believing electricity was "the work of the devil".
In 1888, the first known US wind turbine for electricity production was built by inventor Charles F. Brush to power his mansion in Cleveland, Ohio. By 1900, approximately 2,500 windmills with a combined peak power capacity of 30 megawatts were being used across Denmark for mechanical purposes. In 1904, the Society of Wind Electricians held its first course on wind electricity.
During the 1970s, oil shortages created a new interest in developing alternative energy sources such as wind energy. The US federal government supported research and development of large wind turbines, and thousands of wind turbines were installed in California. Today, wind-powered generators operate in every size range, from tiny stations for battery charging at isolated residences to gigawatt-sized offshore wind farms that provide electricity to national electrical networks. Over 83 countries now make use of wind power, with Denmark deriving 40% of its electricity from wind farms.
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Nuclear power
On June 27, 1954, the Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant in the USSR became the first nuclear power plant to generate electricity for a power grid. The world's first commercial nuclear power station, Calder Hall in England, was connected to the national power grid on August 27, 1956. The global installed nuclear capacity grew to 100 GW in the late 1970s and reached 300 GW by 1990.
Despite these challenges, nuclear power has seen a renaissance in the early 2000s due to concerns about carbon dioxide emissions. Nuclear power is considered a low-carbon technology, and measures to mitigate global warming may favor its economics. Additionally, the extension of nuclear power plant lifetimes makes electricity from these plants the least-cost option among dispatchable technologies.
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Tidal power
Another method of tidal power generation is through the use of tidal barrages, which are structures similar to dams. These barrages are installed across an inlet of an ocean bay or lagoon, forming a tidal basin. During high tides, the barrage gates remain open, allowing water to flow in and fill the basin. At high tide, the gates are closed, creating a pool or tidal lagoon. The water is then released through the barrage's turbines during low tide, generating electricity. The amount of electricity produced can be controlled by engineers.
Advantages and Disadvantages
However, tidal power also faces some challenges and disadvantages. One of the main challenges is the high initial cost of tidal power projects, which can be a barrier to their implementation. Tidal barrages, in particular, tend to be more expensive than single turbines due to increased construction costs and the need for more machinery. Environmental concerns have also been raised regarding the impact of tidal barrages on estuarine ecosystems and the disruption of plant and animal life in the tidal range.
Despite these challenges, there are several notable tidal power stations around the world. The largest tidal power station is the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station in South Korea, with a capacity of 254 megawatts (MW). The oldest operating tidal power plant is located in La Rance, France, with a capacity of 240 MW. Other notable projects include the MeyGen project in Scotland and the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Project in New York City, which generated over 300MWh of electricity to the local grid.
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Frequently asked questions
Humans have been harnessing energy from renewable sources such as the sun, wind, and water for thousands of years, but the technology has changed significantly over time. The first source of energy was the sun, which provided heat and light during the day. In 1839, French scientist Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic (PV) effect, which led to the development of solar power. The first solar panel to produce an electric current was built in the 1800s, but it was costly and took over a century for the technology to catch on. In 1979, solar panels were installed on the White House, and solar energy is now a major driver of the renewable energy transition.
Hydropower was the first renewable source to transition to commercial electricity generation in the late 1800s. In 1880, Michigan's Grand Rapids Electric Light and Power Co. generated DC electricity using hydropower, powering 16 arc street lamps. In 1882, the world's first central DC hydroelectric station was built in Appleton, Wisconsin. By 1886, there were 40 to 50 hydroelectric plants operating in the US.
Wind power also has a long history, with wind-powered turbines spreading throughout the world. In 1941, the first 1.25-MW turbine was connected to the grid in Vermont. The oil crisis of the 1970s renewed interest in wind power, and in 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, requiring companies to purchase electricity from renewable sources, including wind.
In 1881, Werner von Siemens built the first electric street car in Germany. Thomas Edison constructed the first purpose-built power station, Pearl Street Station, in New York City in 1882, providing the first electric light to Wall Street and the New York Times. The station burned down in 1890 but served as a model for subsequent power stations. The first electric transmission line in the US was constructed in 1889 between Oregon City and downtown Portland, Oregon, transmitting electricity over a 13-mile span.
The ancient Greeks, including Thales of Miletus in the 6th century BC, first observed static electricity through experiments with amber rods, now known as the triboelectric effect. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin demonstrated that lightning was electrical with his famous kite experiment. The first theories about electricity were published in the 1600s by English physician and physicist William Gilbert in his book, "De Magnete." The exploration of electricity continued with publications by Robert William Boyle in 1675 and the development of the voltaic pile in the 18th century, providing a viable source of electricity. Alessandro Volta's battery in 1800 and Michael Faraday's invention of the electric motor in 1821 further advanced our understanding and use of electricity.
