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- Solar Power - What's Old Is New Again
Solar Power - What's Old Is New Again
- By Super Admin
- Published 01/5/2008
- Home & Garden , Environment
- Unrated
Solar power in some form has been around for millions of years. Even the earliest humans benefited from the sun, since it makes plants grow and animals thrive. Early man soon learned to direct the sun to provide warmth. It wasn't long before someone figured out how to use it to start a fire.
Many thousands of years later clever individuals learned to harness it even more exactly.
Hero of Alexandria devised a working steam engine around the turn of the first millennium. Some models used solar energy to heat the water. In 1767, Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure devised the first known modern solar collector. He used glass boxes that later evolved into solar ovens. Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect in 1839. He found that sunlight could generate a current in certain electrolytes. But it was in 1954 that the modern solar power industry really started to take off when scientists at Bell Labs developed the first efficient PV (photovoltaic) cell.
Since then there's been a neverending array of impressive devices that continued to improve in efficiency while being manufactured at ever lower costs. At some point, the curves will cross and solar power will become a viable technology for even more uses than it sees today.
Indeed, that's already happening to a degree. Solar powered homes have been a reality for decades. Whether using PV (photovoltaic) modules to generate electricity, or collector systems to heat water or supply
warmth, those applications are installed in thousands of homes.
While relative to power generated by large utility companies it remains expensive for some applications, in others it's actually cheaper.
Millions of phones and lights along highways use small solar panels to power them. Homeowners around the country use solar-powered lawn lamps to illuminate their yards without wires or batteries. Battery chargers, electric fences and many more applications use solar energy as a primary power source.
Water treatment in developing countries commonly makes use of solar devices. That may be as simple as pouring a gallon of water into a jug that sits in the sun for a few hours. Or, it may consist of a solar still that not only kills disease-causing pathogens, but purifies at the same time. Chlorine is boiled off and minerals remain behind as the evaporate flows up and is distilled into containers.
Such methods are relatively cheap and require only simple technology, making them a much more viable method for those who can't yet afford the high cost of more sophisticated applications. Many in rural areas of the U.S. and other developed countries face similar circumstances.
Whether producing non-polluting electricity or enhancing health, or even just providing a convenient alternative to recreational vehicle users, solar power has many valuable uses. With costs coming down and the price of oil, coal and other energy producing materials continuing to rise, those applications stand a good chance of increasing.
That's a benefit for all of us.
Many thousands of years later clever individuals learned to harness it even more exactly.
Hero of Alexandria devised a working steam engine around the turn of the first millennium. Some models used solar energy to heat the water. In 1767, Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure devised the first known modern solar collector. He used glass boxes that later evolved into solar ovens. Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect in 1839. He found that sunlight could generate a current in certain electrolytes. But it was in 1954 that the modern solar power industry really started to take off when scientists at Bell Labs developed the first efficient PV (photovoltaic) cell.
Since then there's been a neverending array of impressive devices that continued to improve in efficiency while being manufactured at ever lower costs. At some point, the curves will cross and solar power will become a viable technology for even more uses than it sees today.
Indeed, that's already happening to a degree. Solar powered homes have been a reality for decades. Whether using PV (photovoltaic) modules to generate electricity, or collector systems to heat water or supply
While relative to power generated by large utility companies it remains expensive for some applications, in others it's actually cheaper.
Millions of phones and lights along highways use small solar panels to power them. Homeowners around the country use solar-powered lawn lamps to illuminate their yards without wires or batteries. Battery chargers, electric fences and many more applications use solar energy as a primary power source.
Water treatment in developing countries commonly makes use of solar devices. That may be as simple as pouring a gallon of water into a jug that sits in the sun for a few hours. Or, it may consist of a solar still that not only kills disease-causing pathogens, but purifies at the same time. Chlorine is boiled off and minerals remain behind as the evaporate flows up and is distilled into containers.
Such methods are relatively cheap and require only simple technology, making them a much more viable method for those who can't yet afford the high cost of more sophisticated applications. Many in rural areas of the U.S. and other developed countries face similar circumstances.
Whether producing non-polluting electricity or enhancing health, or even just providing a convenient alternative to recreational vehicle users, solar power has many valuable uses. With costs coming down and the price of oil, coal and other energy producing materials continuing to rise, those applications stand a good chance of increasing.
That's a benefit for all of us.