A History of Solar Power
The period that we associate as modern solar power history is a lot longer than many would think. In fact, it's genesis can be traced some 140 years back to the middle of the Victorian age. Just like the scientists and inventors of today look for alternatives to a dependence on fossil fuels so did the scientists of those times. This article will trace the history from 1860 through to the present day.
From 1860 to 1880, the French inventor Auguste Mouchout constructed a solar powered engine. The idea behind the engine was to use the sun's heat to create steam. This steam could power other machinery used in many of the new factories that were being built.
The engine was well received by the French government that saw the potential for free energy. They invested money into the project that allowed Mouchout to continue his research and development. However, when coal became cheaper and more plentiful, the government began to lose interest in a solar powered engine and canceled the funding.
At this time, a similar developing was taking place in India. William Adams created a rack that comprised many small mirrors around a boiler. This produced an engine with around 2.5 horsepower.
In 1885 for approximately 4 years, Charles Tellier performed experiments with solar energy. He eventually created solar collectors that were installed on rooftops. The aim of the collectors was to power refrigeration units.
In 1903, Aubrey Eneas started working with solar power. He studied the work of Mouchout but expanded on the scale and efficiency of the original design. He produced a solar power engine that had commercial potential. To this extent, he managed to sell one to a Doctor in Arizona for nearly $2000. It became damaged soon after being transported and was never used. He managed to sell another engine for a similar figure but this was also never used as it became damaged in a hailstorm.
At this time, Henry E. Willsie made two solar plants that collected and stored energy during the day to be used during the night. His innovation was to use flat plate collectors that gave a power rating of approximately 15 horsepower.
In 1906, Frank Shuman improved on Willsies system to create an engine that had a capacity of 33 horsepower. With further enhancements he eventually got his engine to around 55 horsepower.
There were no note worthy developments until around 1954. Bell Laboratories researchers discovered the reaction of sunlight and silicon. This was investigated and lead to the creation of the photo voltaic (PV) cell.
Photovoltaic (PV) cells are the key technology that allows sunlight to be turned into electricity. A series of PV cells is called a solar panel.
When the energy crises hit in the 1970's, it caused many people to look at how they got there energy resources. This increased the thinking that alternatives to fossil fuels had to be found so that the energy resources couldn't be used as a political bargaining chip again. This increased the interest in solar power. Research went into improving PV cells.
PV cells have developed significantly since the early days. They are now increasingly cheaper and more efficient than their predecessors. This improvement will continue as people and governments begin to take solar power seriously. More people are installing solar panels in their homes and this will only increase in the future. More grants and subsidies exist for the creators and users of solar powered technology.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
About the Author
For more solar power information visit solarpowerappliances.com. You will find products and features on solar applications, including outdoor solar lighting and how to find rebates on solar systems.
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License, which means you may freely reprint it, in its entirety, provided you include the author's resource box along with LIVE links (without "nofollow" tags).
by: AdrianFletcher
Total views: 36
Word Count: 573
Rating: Not yet rated