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Solar Energy HistoryA Brief History Of Solar EnergySolar energy history reveals that people have harnessed the energy of the sun in various forms for thousands of years. The earliest humans chose rock faces with southern exposures to locate their caves and cliff dwellings, taking advantage of the thermal energy generated by the sun to heat their homes.The early Greeks and Chinese were among the first to orient their buildings toward the south and plan their towns around the east to west movement of the sun to best provide warmth and light. Meanwhile, the Romans designed their bathhouses with large south-facing windows to gather the sun's energy and warm the interior. In other uses, the sun's rays were focused through water-filled glass vessels and burning lenses to start fires and cauterize wounds in the ancient world. And over the centuries, heat storage containers, solar ovens, thermometers, and other devices were created that relied heavily on the sun's energy. These devices were eventually improved upon and became more diverse. Solar energy history would be incomplete without a mention of solar agricultural methods. Greenhouses have been used to collect and control solar heat to grow specialty crops since Roman times. During the Medieval Warm Period, or Little Ice Age, vertical "fruit walls" oriented to the south were built of stone to collect the sun's warmth and hasten the ripening of plants in the shortened growing season. Solar water treatment is an ancient and relatively cheap technology that's still used in remote rural areas of the world and especially in developing countries. The technique may be as simple as a jar of water sitting in the sun for several hours, or a solar still that purifies the water while simultaneously killing disease-causing pathogens. The warming effect of the sun upon water has long been utilized. Some public heating systems in the 1920s used large water storage tanks to trap solar energy. The sun-heated water was then piped to homes. Such systems fell into disuse as the cost of gas and hydro electric power gradually fell below their operating costs. Nowadays, as the costs associated with fossil fuels increase, solar hot water panels are a common sight on roofs and solar powered water heaters are commonplace in thousands of homes. The Advent Of Solar Power
Becquerel's discovery of the photovoltaic effect in 1839 opened the door to solar electric power, but it would take many years for inventions based on it to become practical. Here's how it works in simplest terms:Sunlight falling on certain materials causes the electrons in their associated atoms to get knocked loose. The loose electrons moving within the material form an electrical current. Once that current is connected to a circuit and its electrical flow is harnessed, it can heat a house, illuminate light bulbs, or power a wide-screen television. Today, there are numerous applications of solar power technology to supply the world's electrical needs. Satellites and planetary rovers use photovoltaic solar panels to generate needed electrical power while closer to home, PV solar panels power lights along some highways and even minor applications like solar powered garden fountains. Solar energy history continues to be written as innovations bring solar power convenience and cost savings. Portable solar power generators provide a convenient alternative source of electricity for builders and new construction, and solar power for RVs is now practical for vacationers. And homes located too far from utility lines can use off grid solar power that's affordable, non-polluting and 100% renewable. And not all solar devices are costly. Solar powered garden lights, battery chargers, Christmas lights, and calculators cheap enough to be promotional give-aways are present in many homes now. Home solar power systems are less common than commercial grid systems, and the installation cost of solar energy can't yet compete with the big utility companies, but the cost of solar panels continues to fall and solar energy costs are competitive in the long term, and becoming more so. An overview of solar energy history reveals that the future of solar is indeed bright. Solar power is now practical and affordable for the average homeowner. TOP of Solar Energy History RETURN to Solar Energy Facts HOME to Solar Power Systems |
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My name is Don, and my goal with this site is to introduce solar power as the best available option for alternative, renewable energy.
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Solar Power Ontario
Heiko Liebethal, Flagstone CEO
If you live in Ontario, Canada, and qualify for the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) microFIT program, you could sell all the electrical power that your solar panels produce back to the OPA, and they will pay you up to 54.9 cents per kWh. Guaranteed.
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