Current scientific advances are built on the foundations laid by other researchers many decades ago, who were able to decipher the behavior of matter and energy long before the energy transition set the global agenda.
The path toward a decarbonized economy is the sum of many scientific milestones spanning centuries. Some of these milestones were contributed by brilliant minds such as Albert Einstein, Hedy Lamarr, Alessandro Volta, Michael Faraday, and Edmond Becquerel. However, these contributions remained dormant until science advanced enough to reinterpret them in a new temporal context, allowing us to harness their potential.
Each solar panel or photovoltaic cell that transforms solar radiation into energy, each wind blade that spins to convert wind power into electrical energy, and each smart system that distributes grids is based on physicochemical principles that, at the time, seemed purely theoretical, revolutionary, or even like science fiction.
Einstein: the theoretical formulation of solar energy
The development and optimization of modern solar panels would not have been possible without Albert Einstein's (1879-1955) theoretical contributions. In 1905, the German physicist published his explanation of the photoelectric effect, which demonstrated that light is composed of packets of energy, or photons, that release electrons when they strike a conductive material, generating a current.
This scientific discovery transformed quantum physics and earned Einstein the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. In the current context of the energy transition, Einstein's equations and physical principles are the mathematical tools used to design high-efficiency photovoltaic cells capable of supplying the global power grid.
Hedy Lamarr: from Hollywood to digital energy management
Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler (Vienna, 1914-2000), a self-taught, polyglot, and versatile inventor, was a mind ahead of her time. Considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, she balanced a career in 1930s and 1940s Hollywood—where she starred in blockbusters like Samson and Delilah—with engineering and scientific experimentation in multiple fields.
What does the energy transition owe to this Hollywood muse? The deployment of smart grids is essential for the current energy transition. Wireless telecommunications directly rely on these smart grids, a field that owes its foundations to the engineer and actress.
In 1942, Lamarr and composer George Antheil patented a secret communication system based on frequency hopping spread spectrum. This discovery was posthumously recognized in 2014 with her inclusion in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. It served as a structural pillar for the subsequent development of technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and geolocation systems by satellite. These technologies later impacted the advances of digitalization.
Alessandro Volta and the first battery
In 1800, Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827) presented the first voltaic pile to the Royal Society of London, laying the foundation for storing electrical energy. By discovering polarized electricity and demonstrating that a continuous current could be generated through chemical reactions between different metals, Volta established the field of electrochemistry by creating the first battery.
His legacy is preserved at the University of Pavia, where he was a professor. The Voltaic pile introduced the concept of the electrochemical cell and is the direct precursor to all modern battery systems. The volt, the unit of electric power in the International System, and its physical magnitude, also owe their name to the Italian scientist.
Michael Faraday, the architect of renewable energy
The conversion of mechanical motion into electricity is the physical principle underlying certain forms of renewable energy, such as wind and hydroelectric energy. This phenomenon was discovered by the British scientist Michael Faraday (1791–1867) in 1831.
Through his experiments on electromagnetic induction at the Royal Institution, Faraday demonstrated to his contemporaries that moving a magnet through a copper coil generates a circulating electric current. This fundamental finding laid the groundwork for the invention of modern dynamos and alternators.
Wind turbines operate based on this same physical principle established nearly two centuries ago. They convert the kinetic energy of the wind into renewable electricity, which powers millions of homes and industries. This is a key component of renewable energy generation. Last year, renewable energy led global energy growth for the first time with an unprecedented expansion of solar and wind power. Spain stands out in this area within Europe.
Edmond Becquerel: the origin of the photovoltaic effect
Thanks to the French physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel, the direct use of solar radiation began to take shape in French laboratories in 1839.
At just 19 years old, while working at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, Becquerel discovered the Fraisal effect by observing that an electric current increased when an electrolytic cell composed of two metal electrodes submerged in a conductive solution was exposed to light.
This phenomenon, documented in a paper validated by the French Academy of Sciences, marked the scientific beginning of converting sunlight directly into electricity. The silicon plates that today cover rooftops and solar farms operate according to the same quantum property first documented by a young French researcher in the 19th century.
Ultimately, the energy transition we are currently undergoing is, in a way, the legacy of, and made possible by, the work of brilliant minds who were able to transform the laws of nature into theoretical knowledge and apply it to energy management through renewable sources, where wireless communications are also key.
