The Sun Queen
She lit the way for solar.
Overview
Chemical engineer and inventor Maria Telkes worked for nearly 50 years to harness the power of the sun, designing and building the world's first successful solar-heated modern residence and identifying a new chemical that could store solar heat like a battery. Telkes was undercut and thwarted by her (male) boss and colleagues at MIT, but she persevered. Upon her death in 1995 Telkes held more than 20 patents, and now she is recognized as a visionary pioneer in the field of sustainable energy whose work continues to shape how we power our lives today.
Key Crew
Writer: Gene Tempest
Director: Amanda Pollak
Producer: Gene Tempest, Amanda Pollak
Top Cast
Andia Winslow
Narrator
Videos
THE SUN QUEEN | Trailer | AMERICAN EXPERIENCE | PBS
