The start of modern solar power history can be traced to the middle of the 19th century. During this time the industrial age was beginning to influence much of western Europe. The need for a combustible resources in massive quantities being one of them. This resource was coal and forward thinkers, inventors and scientists began to ponder what might happen to society should this resource run out. The results of this thinking is the modern solar power industry. This article will plot the history of solar power from this time to modernity.
From 1860 to 1880, the French inventor Auguste Mouchout constructed a solar powered engine. The idea behind the engine was to use the sun's heat to create steam. This steam could power other machinery used in many of the new factories that were being built.
The French Emperor was so impressed with the device that he gave Mouchout a state subsidy to continue developing the engine. The subsidy eventually lapsed without much headway and cheaper coal resources were negotiated putting an end to the solar powered engine in France.
Around this time, William Adams, an Englishman living in India, devised another solution. He built a rack with many small mirrors around a stationary boiler. This allowed him to get 2.5 horsepower out of the engine.
Charles Tellier started working on a solar powered system in 1885. By 1889 he had created one of the first solar collectors that are used today. He installed the collector on the rooftop. The energy generated was used to cool refrigeration units.
In 1903, Aubrey Eneas began his research into solar power. He was deeply influenced by the work of Auguste Mouchout to the extent that he developed a similar style of solar powered engine. It was a more efficient machine on a larger scale and he managed to sell it. It was sold for around $2000 (a substantial sum in those days) to a Doctor in Arizona. Unfortunately the engine was damaged en route and was never set up and made operational. He made another engine that he sold for a similar sum. This too never made it to fully functional as it was damaged in a hailstorm.
At the same time, Henry E. Willsie developed 2 solar plants that collected energy during the day for use at night. The plants used flat plate collectors that produced an output of around 15 horsepower.
In 1906, Frank Shuman made improvements of the original Willsie design. This increased the engine output to 33 horsepower. He continued to tweak his designs to the extent that he managed to get the engine up to 55 horsepower.
The solar industry seemed to go into the doldrums during the war years. Not much of note was developed until 1954. Researchers in the Bell laboratories noticed the reaction of silicon with sunlight. The end result was the invention of photovoltaic cells.
A Photovoltaic (PV) cell is the fundamental element that makes up the solar panels that are generally placed on rooftops. Solar panels create direct current from sunlight.
With the crises with oil shortages and massive increases in the cost of gasoline, research into alternative energy sources was renewed. In terms of solar power, much research went into making PV cells more efficient and cheaper.
PV cells have developed significantly since the early days. They are now increasingly cheaper and more efficient than their predecessors. This improvement will continue as people and governments begin to take solar power seriously. More people are installing solar panels in their homes and this will only increase in the future. More grants and subsidies exist for the creators and users of solar powered technology.
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