# Solar Cell A photovoltaic device that converts light into electrical current. Practical silicon solar cells were developed at [[wiki/Bell Labs|Bell Labs]] in 1954 by Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson. Bell Labs' solar cell work laid the groundwork for the global photovoltaic industry. Referenced in [[articles/Bell Labs and the Distributed Architecture of American Power|Bell Labs and the Distributed Architecture of American Power]].