Some types of solar electricity have been used for thousands of years, even though the method was quite different than the methods used today. Those who lived many centuries ago in Greece and Italy used the sun to harden substances to make their homes, heat them and even provide light inside. They also used the sun in a passive way to reflect off of shields that were made of bronze so that the rays were focused on enemy ships in an effort to set them on fire. However, it wasn’t until 1767 that the first device to collect and store sunlight was devised by Horace de Saussure, a Swiss scientist.
In 1839 the discovery of photovoltaic energy was made by the French scientist Edmond Becquerel. In 1876 it was discovered that light could be transferred into energy through the use of metal. Finally, in 1883, Charles Fritts came up with the first cell that would lead the march to present day solar electricity. By the turn of the century, there had been an application made for the world’s first sun powered water heater.
It would be well into the middle of the twentieth century before solar electricity really began to catch the attention of the world. Part of this was because it was very cost prohibitive. It was entirely too expensive for the average household to consider this as a viable option. In 1958, this energy was harnessed to power the radios that were used during the launch of the Vanguard satellite.
It wasn’t until 1972 that this technology was used in a home to power it completely with solar electricity. This took place in Delaware, which is also where the first solar panels would be made years later. In 1976 NASA began to power many of their facilities in different countries with this sustainable energy. They used it to power refrigeration units, lights in buildings, communication systems and many other types of applications.
Since the early 1980s, many types of vehicles and planes have made use of solar electricity. Even the International Space Station benefitted from the use of these panels.
Today, the power of the sun is harnessed and used for just about any type of project that energy is normally used for, including powering vehicles and being responsible for one hundred percent of the power that a home or office uses. The hard work and dedication of all of the scientists and those in the energy industry resulted in a sustainable energy that will never fail. It is this energy generation that is the bright hope for the future. Many homeowners across the United States are seeing the benefits of relying on a constant source of energy, rather than fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal. Cleaner types of energy that are renewable and sustainable are what people are focusing on today, and the recent affordability of solar panels is making it possible for every household. The benefits of this type of energy will be seen for many years to come.
Soluxe Solar offers installation of solar roof systems nationwide including: Suffolk County, Westchester County, NY, Fairfield County and the surrounding New York area as well as Connecticut and New Jersey. |
