Solar Energy History
Solar energy history displays a magnificent picture showcasing how men strive to make use of the most abundant source of energy in the universe, the sun. It is probably the oldest form of energy source known to man. Ever since ancient times the sun was already the major source of light and heat.
During the ancient times North and South American natives so as the Babylonians, ancient Hindus, Persians and Egyptians consider the sun as a religious icon that they worship it everyday. In 400 BC, the Greeks went beyond the religious concepts and created a passive solar design for their buildings. Romans integrate it later on by being the first to use glass windows to purposely trap solar warmth. They even created glass houses to grow plants with the use of right amount of heat from the sun.
In 1838, a French physicist named Edmund Becquerel created a study and publishes his findings about the nature of materials to turn light into energy. The study was acknowledged but was not pursued.
Between the 1860’s and 1880’s, another Frenchman by the name of Auguste Mouchout made another breakthrough by being the first person to patent a design for a motor powered by solar energy. He invented a device that converts solar energy to mechanical steam to operate a steam engine. Later on he connected the steam engine to a refrigeration device forming a machine that makes use of sun’s power to make ice. A medal was given to him for this achievement.
In 1873 Willoughby Smith accidentally discovered the light sensitivity of selenium solar cells while testing a material for underwater telegraph cables. Three years later, William Adams wrote the first book about Solar Energy entitled: A Substitute for Fuel in Tropical Countries. Adams’ work is still very popular today, a concept known as Power Tower.
The first Solar Energy Company was established by Aubrey Eneas and was called The Solar Motor Co. The first solar energy system was sold at a price of $2,160 to Dr. A.J. Chandler but unluckily it was destroyed after a week by a windstorm.
On 1954, Bell Laboratories researchers accidentally discovered the use of silicon as a semi-conductor, which led to the fabrication of the first solar panel with an efficiency rate of 6%. Two years after, the first commercial solar cell was introduced to the public at a price of $300 per watt.
From 1950’s to 1960’s Space researches adapted the use of solar energy. Vanguard I was the first satellite to use solar energy to generate electricity. The 70’s Energy crisis scared the world after the OPEC oil embargo. Countries all over the world were forced to find an alternative source of energy to sustain their economy. The price of solar cells dramatically dropped to $20 per watt.
During the 80’s and 90’s Solar Energy still struggled to compete with non-renewable source of energy such as fossil fuel. Luz Co., a company based on Los Angeles was force to shut down their doors after most of their investors withdrew support on their projects. Luz Co. that time produced 95% of the world’s solar-based electricity. Before its closure the chairman of the board said,” The failure of the world’s largest solar electric company was not due to technological or business judgment failures but rather to failures of government regulatory bodies to recognize the economic and environmental benefits of solar thermal generating plants.”
Today, man has a renewed stand towards the concept of using solar energy. Many are already encouraged to use the energy from the sun because of its advantages, and its price has become more and more affordable. Governments and environmental advocate group’s offers financial assistance to those who are willing to adapt the usage of solar energy. Solar energy has now started to power a countless number of homes, buildings, and vehicles.
As utility prices rise, and we learn more and more about our effect on the environment, solar energy makes more and more sense. It is the only way to easily and cleanly power the world in the 21st century.
Solar Power Cars
Solar power cars are an intriguing invention for sure. Simply put, they are cars that use the sun’s energy for fuel. They use solar panels to convert the sun’s energy into electric energy, which powers the electric motor in the car. The need for an alternative source of fuel and energy is one of the major reasons in is innovative car idea.
History
In the US, the concept of solar car started in the in the early 1980’s, about 30 years after the discovery of the photovoltaic cell, which is the main component of a solar power system, including solar cars. In 1983 Hans Tholstrup and Larry Perkins showcased the first generation of solar powered cars when they opened up a solar car racing Perth to Sydney in Australia. The world’s first solar car traveled at an average speed of 23kph. It was about 16 feet long with boat like shape. Ever since, solar car races have been popular. Today, most solar cars have very modern and sleek design with speed ranging for 100 to 150kph. Many countries invest in solar cars as a way of showing off their environmental sensitivity.
Production
There are many companies that make sola powered cars, but many like to make them themselves. Designing and creating a solar powered car is an adventure. I will require hard work and dedication. As of today, building a solar car will roughly need around $12,000 to &$15,000 depending on the specification and choice of materials. Its also a good idea to work in a group, that way the work is easier and its more fun. For those who really wanted to save, it is advisable to buy secondhand materials and to canvas for the lowest price before purchasing. Another reason why having a group is encouraged because of the tools and space needed to create the project.
Components
- Solar Array and Power Trackers
These compose of an array of solar cells created individually considering that prefabricated solar panels are heavier. Individual cells generate .5 volt at about 3 amps at maximum sunlight exposure.
- Batteries
The batteries serve as storage for the solar energy from the sun, which will later on be use as electrical energy to run the motor. Most people prefer to use lead-acid type of battery because it is the most affordable and readily available in the market. Other types of battery that are used are lithium-ion or nickel-cadmium.
The weight of the battery contributes much to the weight of the vehicle, which directly affects performance and speed.
- Motor & Controller
The most common type of motor use is a DC permanent magnet motor because it is inexpensive and easy to hookup. Some with enough financial support prefer to go with the brushless motors to achieve 94-99% efficiency. The motor should be more than 5Hp and you need to check with the dealer or manufacturer for the compatible motor controller. Controller is a device that will drive the motor.
- Instrumentation
Instrumentation is very important to monitor the overall performance of the vehicle. Solar car uses state-of-charge meter to make sure that the driver is aware about system status such as voltage, amp draw, and the remaining energy. There are also some additional instrument such as speedometers and thermometers but it is already up to the manufacturer.
- Others
Other things to that need to be consider are Steering & Suspension, Brakes, Tires & Hubs
Advantages and Disadvantages
Solar powered cars are obviously pollution free vehicles. Aside from being environment friendly, it also reduces the demand for fossil fuels and keeps them available for other purposes. Solar power cars can produce maximum rated power at any speed. Now, there are also some disadvantages to having a solar powered car. It can’t match the power and speed of a fossil fuel powered engine. Its sole energy source is the sun, which means that it can only be use on regions with abundant supply of sunlight. And because of the weather dependency of this technology many people are hesitating to invest in solar cars. That is the reason why it is still not as popular as vehicles powered by fossil fuel. Speed and passenger capacity are also affected because of the weights of its battery and solar plates.
What Are Solar Passive Homes?
If you ever wanted to save electricity and improve the comfort of your home without using any high-tech gadgets, then a solar passive home is the answer.
Passive solar design is a technique of using the sun to naturally heat and light up your home or office. This is achieved by using various building features and materials to improve heating and cooling efficiency. The best part about passive solar home design is that it is relatively simple to implement, little maintenance is needed, and your home’s market value can increase considerably.
Your home’s passive solar potential is determined by where and how it is situated and by the types of windows and materials used. Although most buildings can be optimized to receive the ideal amount of sunshine, it is easier if they are on flat land or a sun-facing slope. If your home is surrounded by many trees, make sure they are deciduous so that they shade your home in summer, but their bare branches let sunlight through in winter. Also, try avoid nearby buildings that create too much shade.
When constructing a new home, make sure it is built so that the length of the house faces the sun, allowing the maximum amount of sunlight. Also note how the size, shape and placement of windows will determine the amount of natural heat and light in your home.
So how does the sun heat your home? There are three ways:
* Direct gain – direct heat from the sun shining on a surface.
* Indirect gain – radiated heat from objects heated by the sun.
* Isolated gain – determined by the airflow in your home.
To ensure the most natural heat from the above three sources, a number of large windows should be placed on the sun-facing side of your home, allowing maximum sunlight in.
All that sunlight and heat in your home is useless, if it cannot be stored and used when the sun is set. The solution is to use heat-absorbent flooring and walls that carry on radiating heat long into the night. A simple way to reduce power cost in winter is to locate two rooms in your house that get the most sunshine at certain times of day. Also, shady rooms should be cut-off (their doors closed) from the rest of the house to retain heat better.
During summer, the right length roof overhangs or eaves can be used to control the amount sunlight and heat in your home. The eaves should be wide enough to shade out the intense midday sun, but let the let low-angle sunlight through during dusk and dawn to light up and warm the home. Again, the right trees and shrubs can be planted to regulate the house’s seasonal exposure to the sun.
For current buildings, the simplest passive solar design solution is to replace your windows with modern ones, that use various methods to store up 50% more heat. Although they are 10% to 15% more expensive, they pay for themselves in the long-term from all the power saved to heat your home.
Double-glazed or Low-emissivity (Low-E) windows let solar heat in, but keep in the indoor radiant heat. Another way to reduce heat loss is to ensure tight seals around all windows or by using multiple panes that have gaps between them filled with argon or krypton gas.
What your windows are made from can make a big difference too. While metal framed windows generally conduct heat out the house, wood, vinyl and fiberglass frames insulate the heat better. Always ensure any modern windows bought have labels issued by Energy Star or the National Fenestration Rating Council. These labels provide statistics on how effective and efficient the windows are at retaining heat, which helps you purchase the right windows for your conditions and budget.
So you can see, passive solar design is the effective use of nature and physics to maximize the use of the sun’s natural lighting and heat. Always remember, the point of solar passive design is to reduce your electricity usage and bills. So it is recommended to always weigh up the costs against the potential power savings when installing any passive solar solution at home.
Solar Energy Facts
There’s a lot of miss-information out there about solar power. This article should help set the record straight, and present some real solar energy facts. Some of these are practical, some you can use as your next piece of cocktail trivia, all are interesting.
1) Solar energy is a renewable, green resource. Meaning it will not pollute our air with carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases and bad emissions. Also, as your energy needs grow, you can add more solar panels to your home. And solar panels operate silently and require very little maintenance and will last for a long time. The technology for solar energy is constantly improving, making it a great, and growing, energy market.
2) Which country uses the most solar energy?
If you guessed the United States, you’re wrong. Britain? Nope, try again. Brazil? Not yet. Then who? Germany.
In spite of its location way up above the equator and its relatively small population, Germany currently uses more solar energy than any other country. That blows holes in the common assumptions made in the northern states that solar energy isn’t a plausible local energy solution.
3) Albert Einstein led the way in many solar power innovations.
In fact, though his work in solar energy was overshadowed by his breakthroughs on the theory of relativity, it had a large part to do with his Nobel Peace Prize for Science in 1921. Albert Einstein was responsible for numerous solar experiments with early photovoltaic solar panels.
Photovoltaic solar panels are still used today, but in the 1950s they were given a silicon base and became much more efficient than they had been when Einstein was doing his research. Silicon is a product of the seemingly unlimited resource we call sand. It only takes 1 ton of silicon to produce enough photovoltaic cells to make as much electrical energy as can be made from 500,000 tons of coal. Further, you don’t make all kinds of air pollutants when you use silicon based photovoltaic solar panels, as you of course do make when you burn fossil fuels for electricity production.
4) Aren’t photovoltaic panels really expensive?
Actually, photovoltaic panels cost about 200% less than they did in the 1970s (during the super-inflation and high prices people still attribute to solar panels) and are in some cases twice as efficient at the conversion of solar energy into electricity as they were in the 1970s. So you get about four times as much electricity for your money from photovoltaic panels now. Sounds like hyper deflation to me. Seriously, it is just a matter of improved photovoltaic production technology.
5) The initial price of full-scale solar power systems (ones that power you home entirely from the sun) can be expensive, but the savings is worth it. A full-scale system will cost about the same amount of money as a hybrid car, and in average, it will pay itself off in about the same amount of time. But your home produces a lot more energy and wastes a lot more money than a car. In fact, supplying electricity to homes accounts for nearly half of the greenhouse gases produced annually, while cars only produce a fraction of that amount. So, the savings and the effect you have on the environment really make solar a great option and investment, which leads me to…
6) Solar panels add value to your home! Any panels you add to your home will last 20-25 years, with a warranty. And those panels will add value to your home. So it helps the environment and builds equity.
7) If you have a good solar energy system, one that produces even more energy than you use, your utility company can buy it from you. Meaning, if you make more than you use, you’ll get money back from your power company!
If the power goes out, you still electricity during the day. And if you have a battery back-up system, you can have power no matter the circumstances.
There are some useful and fun facts about solar power. I hope they dispelled some rumors and helped you better understand solar power as a viable energy alternative to fossil fuels.
