The History of Solar Power from Antiquity to the Present
Solar energy as a source of power is increasingly being used today in several developed countries. The history of solar power, however, dates back to thousands of years ago. In ancient Egypt, ‘passive' use of solar power was made by special kinds of architectural techniques. Their living places were built such that solar heat was stored during the day and released at night for keeping the inside of the house warm. Heat from sunshine was also used for drying purposes, e.g. during mummification.
Solar Power In the Greek and Roman Times
The history of solar power reveals that ancient Greek and Roman civilizations were familiar with the use of solar energy for different purposes. Primarily, solar heat was used for heating buildings by means of special architecture. Renowned Greek philosopher Socrates had noted that houses facing the south allowed more heat to keep the inside warm in winter. Romans started the use of glass or mica to cover the building openings facing the south. This allowed the place to retain more heat in winter. Around 100 AD, mica windows were made in Rome for holding solar heat.
Solar Power in the 19th Century
In the later half of the 18th century, the history of solar power entered its route of modern development when a Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure invented the first-ever solar collector. In 1839, the photoelectric effect was observed by a French scientist Edmond Becquerei. In 1861, Auguste Mouchout invented the world's first steam engine powered by solar energy. However, the cost of its manufacture failed the interest of any potential manufacturers. Then in 1891 came the world's first commercial solar water-heater from Clarence Kemp, who is regarded as the father of American solar energy in the history of solar power.
Solar Power in the 20th Century
In the first half of the 20th century, no major breakthrough came in the history of solar power technology. A solar collector with copper lids was made by William Bailley in 1908. Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his research on photoelectric effect. The first silicon solar cell that could produce a measurable amount of electricity was invented in 1953 by scientists from the Bell Laboratories. These types of solar cells were gradually improved in the 1950s and 60s. It was in 1970s, when the international oil prices rose suddenly, that serious research was conducted in creating affordable solar panels and the history of solar power recorded amazing progress in solar technology. In the 1990s, Japanese and German scientists made great improvements in efficient solar panels. Efforts for inventing more efficient and cost-effective solar panels continue to this day.
