| p>Solar power has a varied an interesting history | | | | caused a demand that outstripped supply. It seemed at |
| stretching back over several centuries. The history is | | | | that time that there was no limit to the stocks of this |
| significantly longer than many people realize. In fact and | | | | energy source which was at that time largely imported |
| contrary to popular thinking, scientists had begun to | | | | from the Arab world in the main controlled by Arab |
| investigate solar power or power coming from the | | | | sheikhs. Yet the search for an alternative power |
| rays of the sun quite some time ago. | | | | source was still present and when the crude oil market |
| One of the first inventions concerned an iron vessel, | | | | was shaken by external wars and internal feuding, |
| which contained water that was heated by the sun. | | | | then the motivation increased substantially for the |
| The water then boiled and gave off steam and the | | | | possibility of finding once again alternative power |
| steam pressure operated a steam engine. The way | | | | sources. Public opinion was starting to sway in that |
| that this worked was that reflectors surrounding the | | | | direction. |
| iron vessel concentrated the rays of the sun upon the | | | | Alternative power sources have needed to overcome |
| water in the vessel. Mouchout created the first version | | | | both business and technical challenges. The first major |
| of this in France in 1860. It was a modest beginning, but | | | | breakthrough in solar power generation in the twentieth |
| signaled the advancement of several developments | | | | century, which happened in the early parts of the |
| thereafter. | | | | fifties, was the silicon solar cell that was developed by |
| Many modifications came after that by scientists such | | | | Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin and Calvin Fuller. These |
| as Charles Tellier, John Ericsson, Henry E. Willsie Eneas | | | | scientists working at Bell Laboratories produced a cell |
| and Shuman. William Adams working off the machine | | | | that could generate a considerable amount of electric |
| in France increased the number of mirrors to 72 and | | | | current simply by being exposed to the sun's rays. |
| managed already in his version to triple the amount of | | | | From this early version the solar photovoltaic markets |
| energy produced compared to the first solar engine. | | | | is now growing at an amazing 30 percent every year. |
| However the fundamental problem to be resolved | | | | This happy change in circumstances is really due to |
| was a commercial one. Generators using coal were | | | | the initiatives taken by German and Japanese |
| far cheaper as well as more convenient in those early | | | | governments concerning the production of PV |
| days. | | | | (photovoltaic) cells. From early and modest starts this |
| Nevertheless, in the Netherlands windmills became | | | | phenomenal growth has been behind the production in |
| more and more popular for pumping water, and in the | | | | Japan of hybrid cars that can use solar power as well |
| U.S. the Tennessee Valley Authority sponsored | | | | as conventional fuel. Other positive effects are the |
| increasing use of hydro-electrical power plants. Wind | | | | growing number of offices and homes in the U.S., |
| and water power was being encouraged also by a | | | | which are today being heated using solar energy and |
| growing realization in the first half of the twentieth | | | | solar panels. All this from the early silicon solar cell |
| century that fossil fuel was in fact limited. People felt | | | | developed by the scientists in Bell Laboratories, which |
| more and more that alternative energy sources | | | | was initially almost too expensive to produce for the |
| needed to be explored. | | | | output that was generated. |
| Crude oil had been processed up until this point by | | | | Therefore in the not too distant future solar power will |
| feeding it into a fractional column. This process, which | | | | continue to advance as the human race reduces |
| was begun in Titusville in Pennsylvania by colonel | | | | pollution at the same time as making the most of clean |
| Edwin Drake, was responsible for creating a number | | | | and renewable resources. We can expect to see |
| of derivative products from base petroleum to | | | | solar power becoming less and less expensive and |
| kerosene. Imports of crude oil started when mass | | | | more and more utilized in every country in the world. |
| production of motorcars in the market in the U.S. | | | | |