The use of solar goes back to the time of the ancient greeks. In fact, many other tribes of that era used solar to dry clothes, crops and food. In the Ruins of Ninevah in ancient Assyria, burning glasses like magnifying lenses were found, these were used to start a fire by concentrating light from the sun into a beam. In addition, the ancient greeks lived in homes made of adobe, a brick made from sun- dried earth and straw. Adobe absorbs and stores the sun's heat during the day, to keep the home cool. Then at night, the adobe, releases the heat to warm the house. The Anasazi Indians used solar power to heat their homes by building them to face south where the sun rose so their home would be warm in the morning and cool in the afternoon. Yet they were not the first to discover this, In fact, …show more content…
The ancient romans and chinese also designed and placed home based on these principles of heating and cooling, but Socrates was the first to discover this. He noted that the sun is high in the sky in the summer so he stated that the awnings or other structures of a home could be constructed to allow winter sunshine but block out the sun in the summer. Socrates inspired Vitruvius, the creator of the bathhouses in ancient greece to design them is a similar passive heating design. The bathhouses were placed so that it would have passive solar heating and be warmed in the late afternoon especially in the winter. In addition, black tiles were used to make designs so that the sun would heat them, and once the water was poured over the tiles it would become warmed. An early 19th century invention inspired by these early geniuses that’s still used today is the green house. Not only does it make it possible to grow plants in the winter, but it also uses solar power to gather the sun's energy to help plants grow and capture light energy and retain heat while holding in humidity used to water the
tudies show that Solar energy might have a chance to save the world shortly. In the past years, solar energy was shocking amazing because it saved so much money. However, critics say it takes lots of money for insulation, but when it is said and done, it can save more money in the future than gasoline. Now, if you don’t know what solar energy is at this point, let me explain! Solar energy is the solar power which solar power is the collection of solar radiation to produce electricity.
Many people these days have been wasting electricity for cooking for hundreds of years. Many of them do not realize that they always did not have to cook with a stove, microwave, oven or any type of heating or cooling product. Instead, they should have used the sun; it’s everywhere and allowing us to use its energy to cook. So, here are some basics about solar energy.
3. Solar energy can be used for cooking, heating, and also to operate various electrical appliances at home, office.
the sun is a great and appendant source of energy, it's called solar energy. Solar panels were
Solar power is one of the most environmentally benign energy sources available. Just 20 days of sunshine produces the same amount of energy as everything stored in Earth’s reserves of oil, coal, and natural gas—yet does not come close to producing the same amount of environmental damage as even one of those options (Greentips, 2005). Solar farms are a clean renewable source that can meet high energy demands and can creates thousands of jobs in the future. It is also used during peak demand for electricity. During the hottest days, the panels are absorbing more energy while homeowners have the a.c. on full blast. They can be installed anywhere
However, very few realize the urgency in dramatically improving our living conditions in order to preserve the resources that are diminishing in front of our eyes. In the early 1990s, scientific researchers began recognizing the shifting experienced in global climate change. Upon acknowledging the fact that global warming did exist, scientists sought after ways to alleviate this developing social problem. In order to use sources already existing in our environment, alternative energy resources, such as solar energy, have come to the forefront in solutions. The implementation of technologies that use solar energy, that is any form of energy radiated by the sun, date back to A.D. 100 when Northern Italian summer homes with windowed rooms were constructed using thin sheets of mica or selenite (Skylar and Sheinkopf 7). From that time forward, inventors have created ways in which solar energy can be used to fuel our daily lives. Innovations in solar water heating, solar pool heating, solar electricity, and even solar cooking are currently offered as an alternate means of energy. The question remains, however, as to why more Americans are not taking advantage of these accessible energy-saving resources. In comparison to other energies used to fuel the nation, “solar energy is the cleanest, safest, most environmentally gentle energy option” the United States has
(Links, 1999)The Romans discovered that transparent glass, acts as a solar heat trap, releasing sunlight into the desired space and holding in the heat so it increases inside. They built glass greenhouses so they could have fresh fruits and vegetables during the winter .The romans were one of the first to use the element as a design tool. This was one of the first of examples for using glass as a heat conductor within a building.
Both water and homes have been heated by passive solar energy since 1882. Passive solar energy technology can best be described as thermal windows and orientation of buildings to receive the maximum amount of sunlight during the course of a day. Active heating, which utilizes solar panels, is largely a development of the 20th century. Although heating homes is a necessity during winter months, Texas needs to develop a way to cool buildings during much of the year due to high humidity and scorching temperatures. Cooling using solar energy is possible but complex since it requires an indirect technique to extract heat. The solar cooling technology was first displayed on a large scale at Trinity University in San Antonio during 1977. Texas Tech University was the first institution to develop a moderately sized solar-electric power plant in the United States. The solar-electric power plant developed by Texas Tech replaced the diesel-fueled generators used to power the City of Crosbyton. The device used to harness solar energy and convert solar radiation into electricity has been modified for usage at the Johnson and Johnson plant in Sherman, Texas as an economical electricity generating alternative (Wilder, 2013).
Many people buy solar panels for their houses so they can use that energy. Solar panels help get energy for your house and use that energy for the lights or even to produce heat for your house. You can add immense amounts of insulation when building a new house even if cost a little bit more, it will lower the cost for heating and air conditioning
The greatest energy that can be produced by the sun is electricity. Photovoltaics, or solar cells, capture the sun and convert it into electricity. Solar cells were discovered by the Europeans back in the 1870’s when they used selenium to develop the telegraph. They found that when light hits selenium it would produce and electrical current. Soon enough there were many scientists and engineers working on photovoltaic systems. Silicon and Selenium proved to be the two best elements to conduct electricity when light hits them. Photovoltaic systems (PV cell) work by converting the suns light into electricity. A semi conducting material absorbs the sunlight, that energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, this allows the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. The further development of solar cells can be attributed to the satellite industry. Solar cells were expensive and there was no use for them until satellites came. Because it is impractical to tether satellites it became important to develop solar energy at any cost that would power these satellites. This created a sustainable market for solar power, the first of its kind.
Solar power is nothing completely new; it has been used for years to power small devices from calculators to watches, but what is new is its improved efficiency. Solar panels can be used to collect energy from the sun and now are being used on a much larger scale. Homeowners and business can use energy generated from the panels to power their homes and offices and have it purchased by energy suppliers. Solar power is proving to be an economical energy source available to the public that is consumer friendly.
The real question around the beginning of the 19th century concerning solar energy was "could the sun produce electricity directly?" The main motivation behind this desire was that electricity could be stored in a battery, and used later. It would not be necessary to use the device in the sunlight. All inventions failed, until Frank Shuman, an engineer from Pennsylvania finally made a breakthrough. He built an experimental plant that used black troughs covered in glass with a few inches of water. When exposed to the sun, the water got very hot, causing it to circulate and power an electric generator. His data was so convincing that he got financial backers and built the world's first solar electric power plant in Egypt. However, the Eastern Sun Power Company went out of business even though it was using free fuel. It didn't produce enough electricity for the area that it used, 14,000 sq. ft of sun-collecting land (Zweibel 48).
Energy will always be an important part of life, producing power of movement, heat, and production of electricity in many ways. Renewable energy producing electricity never runs out having lower environmental impact. Solar energy should be used globally improving architectural design in both residential and commercial buildings expanding living future. With 7 billion people across the world, living future might be one of the solutions of global warming by saving energy, water, electricity and nature. Living future improves wellbeing by surrounding people by clean creating equity. The cleanest and healthiest renewable energy is solar energy, a source from the sun lighting up residential and commercial architectural buildings. The system uses solar panels that are installed on roofs, absorbing sun into heat and transforming it into electricity. Solar energy can possibly change the way we use energy forever.
Since the beginning of ancient civilizations, alternative or renewable energy has been used. Before the discovery and development of coal, renewable energy was the only type of energy available. Hot springs were used for cooking and bathing and wood was burned for heat and light. As new technologies and inventions emerged, renewable sources became easier to use. Inventions like the water wheel, which harnessed the power of the water to grind grain, the windmill, which used the wind to pump water, or fireplaces, which allowed wood to warm a house. During the late 1800s there were many advancements in the technology for renewable energy. Charles Fritts, an American inventor, invented the first solar cell, the first automatic wind turbine is created by American inventor Charles Brush, the first solar water heater is patented by Clarence Kemp, and Poul LaCour generates electricity using a wind turbine in Denmark (Staff). Going into the 1900s, solar water heaters become popular and are installed in 50,000 homes, but the popularity dies down after cheap natural gas is preferred (Staff). In 1936, the Hoover Dam is constructed to produce hydroelectricity. Continuing through the 1900s, solar cells and wind turbines are being revised to collect, store, and transfer more energy. In 1980, the first solar cell power plant is dedicated at the Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah (Staff). This solar cell plant is just the first of many to be built and provide energy to thousands of homes all across the world. Within recent years, the push to use clean energy is high. “According to the International Energy Agency, renewables represent the "world's second largest electricity source (Staff).’” Many
In order for one to further understand the importance of solar energy, the problem of global warming must be explained. As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, “Global Warming” is an increase in the earth’s average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect. With an average increase in atmospheric temperatures, our planet is slowly deteriorating. In order to stall or halt this global destruction, countries must turn to solar energy as a cleaner alternative to the depletion of fossil fuels. Solar energy creates a homeostasis for the climate. Due to its ability to decrease global climate changes, solar power can address global warming in several ways.