A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOLAR ENERGY

The early Greeks and Romans used passive solar energy to warm up the rooms in their homes. The Romans covered south-facing openings in the inside walls with glass or other transparent materials to keep in the heat, particularly during the winter months. 

In the 1830s the British astronomer John Herschel used a solar box, similar to today’s solar oven, on a trip to Africa to cook his food during his stay. Later in the 19th century, European scientists developed large cone shaped collectors that were used to boil ammonia for use in refrigeration plants and for other products. 

In the United States, John Ericsson did much research to harness solar power. He designed the parabolic trough collector, which operates much like the parabolic trough collectors we have today. (Parabolic trough collectors are discussed further in chapter 2.) 

William Adams used mirrors and the energy of the sun to help power a steam engine during the 1870s. His design, called the power tower concept, is still in use in the 21st century. (Solar power towers are discussed in chapter 2.) 

In the 1950s Gerald Pearson, Calvin Fuller, and Daryl Chaplin of Bell Laboratories (now AT&T Labs) discovered the use of silicon as a semiconductor. 

In the 21st century, Silicon, an element, is utilized as a major ingredient in the production of solar cells and solar panels. In 1953 the same three scientists developed the first silicon solar cell. Th e cell generated small measure of electric current. In the 1950s and 1960s, satellites and spacecrafts used solar panels for electricity. In the early 21st century the photovoltaic market is growing by 30 percent per year, as the costs of manufacturing the cells decrease.

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John F. Mongillo
A Student Guide to Energy 
Copyright 2011
Greenwood Publishing Group
Volume 2 Solar Energy and Hydrogen Fuel Cells