Since the spark from which modern understanding of electricity emerged in the 18^th century, inventors and innovators have been striving to find ever more effective ways of generating this exceptional resource. At the forefront of that quest has been the drive to develop truly renewable energy.

Renewable energy allows electricity to be generated from a source that is not depleted by the process. In real terms today that means sources of energy like the sun, the wind, and even the powerful forces locked beneath the Earth’s crust.

As of 2016 renewable energy boasted a global installed capacity of 2,011 GW. But where did it all start? Welcome to our global timeline of renewable energy part 1 – Solar Power.