Photovoltaics years in Northern Europe. The term "photovoltaic" comes from the Greek φῶς ("phōs") meaning "light", and from "volt", the unit of electro-motive force, the volt, which in turn comes from the last name of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta, inventor of the battery (electrochemical cell). The term "photo-voltaic" has been in use in English since 1849. Photovoltaics are best known as a method for generating electric power by using solar cells to convert energy from the sun into a flow of electrons by the photovoltaic effect. Solar cells produce direct current electricity from sunlight which can be used to power
Alessandro Cruto the rest of his life between his family and his old laboratory. He continued his experiments on the accumulation of atmospheric energy and the invention of a toy called "mosca elettrica" ("electrical fly"). Cruto died, almost forgotten by all, in 1908. Alessandro Cruto Alessandro Cruto was an Italian inventor, born in the village of Piossasco, who created the incandescent light bulb. Son of a construction foreman, he attended the school of architecture at the University of Turin, while also attending Physics and Chemistry lectures with the dream of crystallizing carbon to obtain diamonds. In 1872 he opened a small workshop