On the contrary, one must recognize that this idea is very ancient and its slow development across the centuries has given birth to various curious devices. This ancient practice of using solar energy can be seen as early as the 7 th century B. A few centuries later in the 3 rd century B. The sun was also used to heat rooms with the concept of sunrooms appearing in Roman bathhouses, and in the s, the Anasazi people in pre-colonial North America built their homes in ways that purposefully captured heat from the sun in the winter months.
Later, in the late s and early s, sunlight was used to heat ovens during long trips and could be used to power steamboats. While none of these practices may look like the kind of solar power we are familiar with today, they all are using an unending resource to address needs and to make life better, which is what renewable energy is all about.
They found that they could use selenium cells to generate electricity with sunlight and their discovery was fundamental for the continued adaptation of panel technology, including the photoelectric effect perfected by Albert Einstein. The photoelectric effect showed how light carries energy through electrons, and Einstein won a Nobel Prize in , especially honored for his contributions to solar energy.
The understanding of these physics is how we still produce solar panels today through photovoltaic processes. Solar technology grew and changed quickly, and it continues to do so to this day. In , solar technology was installed on a United States satellite and launched into space, 11 years before the moon landing. Solar energy is one of the most accessible for non-commercial use, with over 2 million systems installed in the United States alone and projections at 4 million in only 2 years.
Solar energy is the fastest growing renewable energy resource in the world, followed closely by wind power. In fact, the two together could create enough energy for the entire world if enough installations were built. Other Resources. Newer technology allows us to recognize how we can use other resources, like geothermal and biomass energy. These resources, while newer in their advancements, have equally ancient beginnings.
In Boise, Idaho, there are currently 4 district heating systems that are geothermal and provide heat to more than 5 million square feet of residential, commercial, and government space, and across the United States, there are 17 systems. Over the last decade, the United States has developed organizations to help with regulation, production, and research, and it is a growing field of energy that has a bright future.
Energy from biomass was in use as early as people were burning wood to cook and maintain heat, and it was used to fuel lamps in the s before the lightbulb. Burning wood is still the largest resource of biomass today, and other resources are food crops, plants that are grassy or woody, resides that are left from agriculture or forestry, algae that is rich in oil, and the organic parts of wastes.
It can be used for biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel, biopower for heat and electricity generation, or bioproducts like plastics and other petroleum-based products. During the Industrial Revolution, the scarcity of wood due to deforestation was actually one of the reasons that the energy industry turned to coal and oil, but the world has more recently rediscovered the abilities of biomass to create energy.
Combined with increasingly lower cost, solar power is poised to be one of the most important renewable energy technologies of the coming decades. Interested in learning how solar power compares to wind power?
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Here's the breakdown. Who Discovered Solar Energy? Where did modern solar power get started? The roots of modern solar power can be traced back to CSP is used to generate electricity in large-scale power plants. A CSP power plant usually features a field of mirrors that redirect rays to a tall thin tower.
One of the main advantages of a CSP power plant over a solar PV power plant is that it can be equipped with molten salts in which heat can be stored, allowing electricity to be generated after the sun has set. Members Login.
Solar energy. Show Hide Quick Links. Solar power is generated in two main ways: Photovoltaics PV , also called solar cells, are electronic devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar Energy Data. Investment trends.
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