Bell Rock
SOLAR ENERGY HISTORY THROUGH THE AGES
The earliest known uses of solar energy date from way back in the 7th Century BC.
The Ancient Egyptians used the sun’s heat to make bricks, which were formed by mixing mud and straw together and baking them in the sun.Passive solar design was first used by the ancient Romans and Greeks – who designed buildings that made optimum use of the sun’s rays for heat and light.
By orientating their buildings towards the south, they gained maximum benefit from the winter sun. Simultaneously, they were able to reduce their dependence on firewood which was often in short supply, making early use of renewable energy in preference to fossil fuels.The Romans took solar design a step further by covering south-facing building openings with glass or mica to prevent the heat of the winter sun from escaping, and even made a law against obscuring a neighbour’s access to sunlight.
Energy from the sun was also used by the Ancient Greeks who used bronze shields to focus the sun’s rays onto the wooden ships of the Roman army, setting them on fire.Some early native cultures in America built their homes into cliffs to get the best use of the heat trapped in the rocky sides.
Later on in 1767, a Swiss scientist called Horace de Saussure was believed to have constructed the first solar collector, but the real momentum for solar energy development came in 1839 when French scientist, Edmond Bequerel discovered the photovoltaic effect.Becquerel discovered that by exposing certain materials to light, it was possible to increase the electric current.
French scientists continued to experiment with solar power, with a notable achievement by Auguste Mouchout in developing the first active solar motor as well as a solar-powered steam engine.Both of these inventions failed to get off the ground because of the prohibitive cost of production.
Over time and all over the world, scientists were working out new ways of harnessing the sun’s energy. In 1876, William Grylls Adams discovered that selenium produced electricity when exposed to light, without the need for heat or moving parts.
Albert Einstein, better known for his Theory of Relativity, was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his theories on the photoelectric effect – involving the generation of electricity through solar cells.
In the 1950s, Bell Laboratories (now known as AT & T Laboratories) developed the first silicon solar cell which could generate a measurable electric current. It was the first cell capable of converting enough of the sun’s energy into power to run everyday electrical appliances.
The launch of the satellite, Vanguard 1 in the fifties marked the first practical application of photovoltaic solar cells.The first solar powered aircraft flew across the channel from France to England in 1981 under power from its sixteen thousand solar cells which gave off 3 000W of power.
The Arab Oil Embargo in 1973 was the catalyst for solar energy research to gain momentum as western economies looked for ways to reduce their dependence on oil.When Dr Elliot Berman developed a solar cell that had more practical cost implications in the 1970s, it was the catalyst for the design of a much wider range of applications including lighthouses, off-shore oil rigs and remote homes.
Concern for the environment has been a major driver of research into renewable energy sources, including solar power, geothermal and wind power.And whilst solar technology today is powering far more than a hand-held radio, the basic idea of solar power has remained the same since ancient times – it is a viable renewable energy source.
Jingle Bell Rock- Lyrics
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