You may think of solar use as new to our century. However, the ancient Greek and Romans used passive solar in their homes. Wood to burn was often scarce, so they learned to face their houses south to catch the sun during the winter. They covered the south facing openings with mica or glass.
By the 6th Century A.D., houses with sunrooms on public buildings and houses became so popular, that a law had to be created to make sure that no other buildings blocked the sun from an existing structure that used solar energy for heat. Here in North America, the Anasazi people faced their cliff dwelling structures south to catch the sun for heating purposes as well. The Pueblo's are descendants of these people.
During the 1800's solar use again came into limited use. August Mouchout, an inventor, felt that fossil fuels would eventually run out. He built a solar powered steam engine. the high cost of building the unit, plus the falling price of English coal brought an end to his dream. The thought of using solar energy as a source of power still interested individuals and scientist throughout the 19th century. Solar hot water heaters came into existence in 1891 when Clarence Kemp patented the first solar hot water heater system. It became a practical way to heat water, especially in Florida and California. by 1900, almost 1600 homes had been built with solar hot water heat in California. The unit worked well during the day, but did not keep water hot over night. It wasn't until William Bailey created and patented another water heater system in 1909 that water would stay warm over night. That system had a separate storing system for the hot water. This kept the water hot over night. He called his system the "Day and Night Solar Hot Water Heater." Through the years, improvements have been made on solar hot water heaters, but they work similar to what was created in the early 1900's.
Since then, other means of using solar energy have been created. For instance, in the 1950's Bell Labs discovered that silicon could be used as a semi-conductor of electricity. This discovery paved the way for solar cells and solar panels. Today, solar power is used to supply electric to homes and businesses. Solar panels and even shingles using this technology now exist. We have appliances that use solar cells to power them. We have outdoor lighting that works very well off of this technology. It can be used as illumination or as a means to add beauty to a home at night, or both. There is an array of solar powered products that no longer need to be plugged into a wall socket. Just the sun as a source of power.
Solar powered products and ideas are becoming very popular and a good investment because after the initial cost, there is minimal upkeep. They have become a reasonable alternative to fossil fuels. Shouldn't all of us use this natural resource? Why not join the green revolution. Help save our earth.
You may think of solar use as new to our century. However, the ancient Greek and Romans used passive solar in their homes. Wood to burn was often scarce, so they learned to face their houses south to catch the sun during the winter. They covered the south facing openings with mica or glass.
By the 6th Century A.D., houses with sunrooms on public buildings and houses became so popular, that a law had to be created to make sure that no other buildings blocked the sun from an existing structure that used solar energy for heat. Here in North America, the Anasazi people faced their cliff dwelling structures south to catch the sun for heating purposes as well. The Pueblo's are descendants of these people.
During the 1800's solar use again came into limited use. August Mouchout, an inventor, felt that fossil fuels would eventually run out. He built a solar powered steam engine. The high cost of building the unit, plus the falling price of English coal brought an end to his dream. The thought of using solar energy as a source of power still interested individuals and scientist throughout the 19th century. Solar hot water heaters came into existence in 1891 when Clarence Kemp patented the first solar hot water heater system. It became a practical way to heat water, especially in Florida and California. by 1900, almost 1600 homes had been built with solar hot water heat in California. The unit worked well during the day, but did not keep water hot over night. It wasn't until William Bailey created and patented another water heater system in 1909 that water would stay warm over night. That system had a separate storing system for the hot water. This kept the water hot over night. He called his system the "Day and Night Solar Hot Water Heater." Through the years, improvements have been made on solar hot water heaters, but they work similar to what was created in the early 1900's.
Since then, other means of using solar energy have been created. For instance, in the 1950's Bell Labs discovered that silicon could be used as a semi-conductor of electricity. This discovery paved the way for solar cells and solar panels. Today, solar power is used to supply electric to homes and businesses. Solar panels and even shingles using this technology now exist. We have appliances that use solar cells to power them. We have outdoor lighting that works very well off of this technology. It can be used as illumination or as a means to add beauty to a home at night, or both. We have watches that will operate for months of off one charge from light. From lights to radios, from watches to solar hot water heat, this alternative source of power is becoming popular throughout the world. There is an array of solar powered products that no longer need to be plugged into a wall socket. Just the sun as a source of power.
Solar powered products and ideas are becoming very popular and a good investment because, after the initial cost, there is minimal upkeep. They have become a reasonable alternative to fossil fuels. Shouldn't all of us use this natural resource? Why not join the green revolution. Help save our earth.
_____________________________________________________________________
John Hingle has become interested in Solar energy as a reliable alternative to fossil fuels. This technology is well suited for use as a source of power for the home, office, or business. It can be used to power products that we use every day without the need to "plug them in" or use a battery that needs replaced regularly. He is the owner of the website solarpoweredideas.com
