Far from being a new technology the history of the use of solar power obtained from the sun is as old as time itself. Harnessing the sun's power is a natural way in which to convert that power into some useful energy, from a plant using photosynthesis, to modern photovoltaic cells. One cannot begin to explain how humans have harnessed this most common of energy sources without first referring to the ancient civilisations.
It would appear that the ancient Greeks and Romans actually built solar power design features into their buildings to utilise the sun's rays for heating, both water and the interior. But consider even earlier cultures who used solar power to light up dark interiors even by reflecting the suns rays in very specific directions. Solar power has also been used to bring about great victories over superior foes. There is a legend of the Trojans using a large concave glass to concentrate the sun's rays on the wooden ships of their Achaean enemies, which subsequently burst into flames.
However, the modern research into solar power has not focused on such destructiveness. The first solar' houses were built after WW1 in the industrial Ruhr area of Germany. Although not at all popular at first, there did continue to be some study of them carried out in the USA, but the technology did not catch the public's imagination at that time due to the relative cheap cost of carbon fuels and the mistaken belief of their inexhaustibility.
In 1933, designer George F Keck designed a house made completely of glass for the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago. He found that it was warm inside on bright but cold winter days despite there being no provision for heating. Keck began incorporating south facing windows in his designs for other houses which increased his knowledge of the abilities of solar power. In 1940 he was able to design the very first passive solar house in the USA for a developer called Howard Sloan, who in turn built a number of such houses throughout the 1940's. His efforts in this area certainly influenced a number of other builders in the post war building boom and he is credited with the first use and popularising the term solar' to describe these houses. Unfortunately there was misunderstanding which lead to houses being built facing away from the southern exposure required for the solar power to work. This did have an effect on their popularity and contributed to a decline in public interest in the technology by 1950.
It took the 1973 oil crisis to enliven the debate about alternative technologies for fuel and energy. Solar power was seen as a forerunner of the new wave of alternative reusable and sustainable energy sources and still is today. Recent developments in the efficiency of photovoltaic cells have meant that solar power technology is being used in all manner of things and less sunlight is required to produce enough energy to both power and store for later release. There is little doubt that solar power is here to stay and can only become more accessible as the technology matures.
Steve Gelder is a freelance independent writer of e-zine articles and the webmaster for http://www.solar-garden.co.uk . Visit http://www.solar-garden.co.uk to see a full modern range of solar power garden ornaments, pumps, water features and lights at fantastic discount prices.
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