Planning
to go off-the-grid with a residential solar energy system in
your home?
To
fully understand more about solar and renewable energy,
and what the future holds for it, it’s good to learn more about the
history of solar energy.
Solar
Energy Down The Ages
One of the more common and more popular roles that the sun, or
solar energy played during those ancient times is that of a force able to
sustain life based on its ability to provide an endless source of
energy.
This is probably the reason why people of those times, especially in native
South and North America, as well as in other parts of the world, worshipped the
Sun. The ancient Greeks built temples devoted to worshipping
their sun deities, namely, Helio and Apollo.
Also, the Greek’s use of solar energy was not limited to
religious purposes, as they even used solar energy systems to
incorporate passive solar design in the construction of their houses.
The Romans simply improved on
Greek design and also incorporated windows into their structures,
allowing them to be able to trap more solar heat.
How
The Solar Water Heater Came To Be
Unknown to a lot of people, the original prototype for solar water heaters
is actually a result of do-it-yourself projects of people who hoped to boil water, and
keeping it hot for longer.
During the 18th century, scientists
discovered that
covering a box with a glass top while heating it would actually get the water
to reach boiling temperature.
But it wasn’t until someone tried to combine a solar heat collector with a water tank that the first prototype
for solar hot water heaters was created.
How Photovoltaic Cells Were Discovered
In 1839, at age 19, French physicist
Edmond Becquerel experimentally demonstrated the photovoltaic effect by
building the world's first photovoltaic (PV) cell
in his father's laboratory.
British Astronomer, John Herschel was able to cook food with solar
power during his African journey 200 years ago. In 1921, Albert Einstein was awarded
the Nobel Prize for "his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect."
Solar
energy cells, also known as PV cells, were
actually created when three Americans were building transistors with silicon during
the 1950’s.
PV cells weren’t actually an affordable solar energy source back
then, but, due to its practical use in the
satellite industry, the solar energy cell industry became sustainable.
The Solar Energy Industry Today
Today, solar energy
has garnered a lot of renewed interest and focus, especially since it has become more affordable, and
offers more use and application in our modern-day needs.
Solar
energy cells are actually being used in a lot of businesses and homes
today, and are responsible for powering most household appliances, office
equipment, and are even used to power cars
and planes.
If you use solar power in your home’s heating system, you can
slash the electric bill by 50%. In the last thirty years, the price of solar
panels has dropped considerably by at least 200%. Solar power kits
can now be purchased from $200-$500.
In the movie, Race the Sun with James Belushi and Halley Berry in the lead, a car
shaped like a cockroach and covered with solar panels used
the sun’s rays as an alternative energy source to run the car.
Solar thermal technologies are being
used for water heating, space heating, space cooling and process heat generation.
Solar energy is also being used to distil water and make saline or brackish
water potable or drinkable.
Solar furnaces use a huge array of
mirrors to concentrate the Sun’s energy on a small space and produce very high
temperatures. Photovoltaic cells serve as the main fuel source for
satellites in space.
There are now 1.3 million solar installations across the United
States, with a cumulative capacity of over 40 gigawatts.
Most of Europe is using solar power despite
its climate. The energy generated on sunny days is stored in batteries. In March
2019, Germany generated 54.5% of its electricity from renewable energy.
India has become the cheapest producer of solar power in the world
and solar power now represents 9.2% of the total power generation capacity in
India.
If you live in an area with lots of sunlight all through the year,
solar power is an excellent choice. Solar power is free and clean, and after
your initial investment in your solar energy systems,
you no longer have to pay for the energy.
Learn about off-grid living, renewable energy, green living, and eco-friendly products at LifeOffGrid.org.
Learn how to go green and reduce your ecological footprint in the Free How To Go Green
course.
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