The history of solar energy
Solar energy is for everyone just because the sun shines in every corner of the planet. In fact, the history of solar energy goes back to the Greeks, who were then passed on to the Romans, who were the first to use the passive solar concept.
The passive solar design allows to heat the house according to the design of it. At the time, they may not have windows, but their architecture allowed people to use the sun's rays to light and heat indoor spaces. As a result, it was not necessary to burn often rare foods.
In 1861, Auguste Mouchout invented the first active solar engine. Unfortunately, its high price makes commercial production impossible. Less than 20 years later, Charles Fritts invented solar cells that will later be used to power homes, space heaters, satellites and other devices.
As what he invented was very primitive, other people have experimented with solar energy. Albert Einstein, who won the Nobel Prize in physics as part of his research on the photoelectric effect, phenomenon associated with the production of electricity from solar cells.
In 1953, Bell Laboratories, now known as AT & T Laboratories, developed the first silicon solar cell capable of generating measurable electrical current. Three years later, solar cells were running at $ 300 per watt. With the Cold War and the race for space, this technology was used to propel satellites and craft.
But the biggest event in the development of Sola Energy took place during the 1973 oil crisis. This prompted the US government to invest heavily in the solar cell developed by Bell Laboratories 20 years ago.
In the 1990s, research on solar energy stopped when the price of oil fell on the world market. Funds were diverted elsewhere and the United States, which was probably the leader in this form of alternative energy, was quickly overtaken by other countries, mainly Germany and Japan.
In 2002, for example, Japan had installed 25,000 solar panels on rooftops. Because of this, the price of solar panels fell because demand was up. To date, solar energy is only growing by 30% a year.
Although solar energy has improved, its basic principles remain the same. The sun's rays are collected and converted into electricity. In addition to powering homes or office buildings, the technology has been used to power planes, cars and boats.
Unfortunately, none of them have yet been made available to the public. We still rely heavily on oil for electricity, gasoline for our cars, fuel for aircraft and ships.
In fact, the United States is one of the biggest users of oil in the world. To prove one point, the Department of Defense consumes 395,000 barrels a day because of the wars that are going on in Afghanistan and Iraq, which is almost the fuel consumption of a whole country like Greece.
