Ogami Island Lighthouse in Nagasaki, Japan-Powered by Solar Cells

It was in 1959 that Sharp first succeeded in developing a prototype solar cell. In the years that followed, engineers continued their R&D work, improving durability and sunlight-to- electricity conversion efficiency and paving the way to commercialization.Solar cells have a long service life and can run without maintenance for long periods of time-qualities that led to the very first solar cell installation on an unmanned lighthouse on a remote island with no source of electricity.