The History Of Solar electricity
January 14, 2012 by Tom Skullsker
Filed under Other
With the prevailing energy increase costs many have been looking to alternate power sources. One of the best sources of power ( our sun ) is usually available to take. We need to be in a position to harness it’s power. For those interested, below is a short summarize of how solar power came to be. The history of photovoltaic energy ( aka. Solar power cells ) started back in 1876.
An electricity expert, Werner von Siemens, asserted that the discovery was ‘scientifically of the most far reaching importance’. The selenium cells weren’t efficient, though it was showed that light, without heat or moving parts, could be altered into electricity. In 1953, Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson, and Daryl Chapin, discovered the silicon photovoltaic power cell.
The NY Times related that this discovery was ‘the start of a new time, leading at last to the realization of using the nearly unlimited energy of the sun for the usages of civilization. ‘ The year is 1956, and the 1st photovoltaic power cells are available commercially. The price ticket however is a long way from the reach of everyday folk. At $300 for an one watt photovoltaic cell, the price tag was miles beyond anyone’s means. 1956 started showing us the initial solar cells exploited in toys and radios. These novelty items were the first item to have solar cells available to consumers.
In the early 1970′s a method to lower to cost of photovoltaic power cells was found. This brought the price down from $100 per watt to about $20 per watt. This analysis was fronted by Exxon. Most off-shore oil rigs exploited the photovoltaic power cells to power the fading lights on top of the rigs. They started showing up on railroad crossings, in remote places to power homes, Australia used solar power cells in their microwave towers to grow their telecommunication capacities. You will see solar powered cars. With the price of photovoltaic power cells well inside everyone’s budget, solar electricity has not looked so attracting. Latterly advanced technology has given us screen published photovoltaic cells, and a solar fabric that can be used to side a home, even solar shingles that install on our roofs.
Global market have opened up and solar power cell makers are now playing a big part in the solar energy industry.
Read more about home solar power system and solar system information on my blog.
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