Here is a selection of fascinating solar power fun facts. People have used the sun as a heat resource for thousands of years. It is only with the progress in technology that have taken place in recent years that have helped us to finally harness this energy.
Families in ancient Greece built their homes to get the most sunlight throughout the chilly winter months. The ancient Greeks believed that the sun was the god Helios and he drove his chariot round the earth towards the sky in the morning and in the evening back again.
The invention of the photovoltaic effect is attributed to the French physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel in 1839.
In 1921 the Nobel Peace Prize was presented to Albert Einstein for investigations with solar power and photovoltaics.
Way back in 1955 The American Solar Energy Society held its first conference in Phoenix and attracted the first Russian scientist to the US following the second World War. There is film footage exhibiting early photovoltaics which was developed for NASA, solar cookers and solar heating panels.
The first solar flight occurred in 1974 in California by an unmanned plane which was specially designed by two brothers Roland and Bob Boucher.
In 1975 the earliest solar vessel was built in England and in 1996 Kenichi Horie from Japan made the first solar powered crossing on the Pacific Ocean in a catamaran.
The earliest World Solar Challenge took place in 1987. This is the solar-powered motor contest covering 3021 km over the Australian outback from Darwin to Adelaide.
Did you know that it is possible to increase any solar panel productivity by 75% simply by positioning a mirror which is roughly twice the size of the panel on the surface in front of the panel?
PV cells do not require direct sunlight to work - you may still generate some electric power on a gloomy day.
Solar electricity is an eco-friendly, sustainable energy and does not release any damaging carbon dioxide or other pollutants. An average home PV system can help save about 1200kg of CO2 annually which is around 30 tonnes spanning a lifetime.
It is possible to store the electricity that a solar power system generates in batteries for a cloudy day.
You may sell off any excess electricity you produce using your solar power back to the power company and make a little bit of money.
It takes only about eight minutes for solar energy to travel from the sun down to the earth.
Approximately 30% of the radiation that we receive from the sun in the upper atmosphere is reflected back to space. The rest is absorbed by the clouds, oceans and also land masses here on Earth. Yet still even in these types of conditions, the energy that our planet receives from just a single hour of sun exposure is equal to the amount of energy that human beings use within a whole year.
Large scale solar projects that are being constructed world wide show that sun powered clean energy technology are both attainable and lucrative. Solar power plants generate Megawatts (MW) with one MW being enough energy to supply 1000 homes. One of the largest solar energy projects that the world has ever seen is the "Desertec" program to use the uninhabitable North African desert for a power grid of concentrated thermal electrical power stations which will supply Europe with just about all of its energy needs by the year 2050. So much progress in such a brief period of time let us see exactly where solar electricity will go from here.
Solar Power Companies - Look Out For The Worldwide Energy Market Leaders
These days there are thousands of solar power companies that are able to supply solar power equipment to homeowners who want to save money on their energy costs.
Use The Power Of The Sun's Rays With DIY Solar Power For Your Residence And Generate Your Own Electrical Energy
Using the power of sun with solar electricity is a benefit to the environment and to your home. Solar electricity is already being used to supplement power for a number of large cities in North America.
An Untested Supply Of Eternal Energy: What Is Solar Power?
The most exact definition of solar energy is plainly: the energy from the sun. It is a term used to classify the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun and intercepted by the earth.
How To Get Full Benefit Of The Use Of Solar Tube Skylights
Solar tube skylights not only use sunlight to bring comfort, but they also cut electricity costs and improve the mood of the people living under that roof.
Alternative Energy Investment Opportunities - The Transition From Standard To Highly Effective
The oil market is not the only market that's looking up. You'll find that alternative fuel stocks are also attracting many investors.
Excellent Developments For The Future Of Solar Powered Energy: Collection, Concentration, And Storage
Scientific research is shedding new light on an unexpected provider of energy for heating up households and generating electricity - the sun.
Sustainable Energy On The Sea: Hot Sea Water Found On The Surface
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) was conceived by the French engineer Jacques D'Arsonval in 1881. However, at the time of this writing the Natural Energy Laboratory from Hawaii was the home to the only operating experimental OTEC plant on the face of the earth.