Interesting Fun Facts About Solar Power
Here is a selection of extraordinary solar power fun facts. People have used the sun as a heat resource for hundreds of years. It is only with the progress in technology that have taken place in recent years that have helped us to fully harness this power.
Families in ancient Greece built their homes to get the most sunlight during the chilly winter months. The ancient Greeks thought that the sun was the god Helios and he drove his chariot round the earth up towards the sky in the morning and in the evening back again.
The invention of the photovoltaic effect is attributed to the French physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel in 1839.
In 1921 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Albert Einstein for experiments with solar power and photovoltaics.
Way back in 1955 The American Solar Energy Society held its first gathering in Phoenix and attracted the first Russian scientist to the US since the second World War. There is film footage exhibiting early photovoltaics which was designed for NASA, solar cookers and solar heating panels.
The first solar flight occurred in 1974 in California by an unmanned plane which was put together by two brothers Roland and Bob Boucher.
In 1975 the first solar boat was constructed in England and in 1996 Kenichi Horie from Japan made the first solar powered crossing on the Pacific Ocean using a catamaran.
The earliest World Solar Challenge was held in 1987. This is the solar-powered motor race covering 3021 km through the Australian outback from Darwin to Adelaide.
Did you know that it is possible to increase any solar power panel productivity by 75% by simply positioning a mirror which is about twice the size of the panel on the ground in front of the panel?
PV cells do not require direct sunshine to work - you may still produce some electric power on a gloomy day.
Solar electricity is a green, renewable energy and does not release any damaging carbon dioxide or other pollution. An average home Photovoltaic system can help save around 1200kg of CO2 per year which is around 30 tonnes over a lifetime.
It is possible to store the electrical energy that a solar power system produces in batteries for a cloudy day.
You may sell off any extra electricity that you produce using your solar power back to the power company making a little bit of money.
It takes no more than eight minutes for solar energy to travel from the sun to earth.
About 30% of the radiation that we receive from the sun in the upper atmosphere is actually reflected back to space. The remainder is absorbed by the clouds, oceans and also land masses here on Earth. Yet even in these conditions, the energy that our planet receives from merely a single hour of sun exposure is equivalent to the amount of energy that human beings use in an entire year.
Large scale solar projects that are being constructed world wide show that sun powered clean energy technologies are both attainable and also lucrative. Solar power plants generate Megawatts (MW) with one MW being sufficient power to supply 1000 homes. One of the largest solar energy projects which the world has ever seen is the "Desertec" program to utilize the uninhabitable North African desert for a power grid of concentrated thermal electrical power stations that could supply Europe with all of its power needs by the year 2050. So much progress in such a brief period of time let us all see exactly where solar electricity will go from here.
Solar Power Lights - Save On Electric Bills
Reduce your energy bill and install solar power lights in your garden. Installation could not be easier for many types of solar garden lights it is as simple as either staking it into the ground or affixing it to a post.
Use The Power Of Sunlight With DIY Solar Powered Energy For Your Home And Produce Your Own Electrical Energy
Using the power of sun with solar electricity is a benefit to the environment and to your home. Solar electricity is already being used to supplement power for a number of large cities in North America.
Foldable Solar Panel - Find Out Some Of The Benefits When Using This Electric Generator And The Correct Way To Make Use Of It
Learn where to buy a good foldable solar panel for sale at an inexpensive price and start lowering your electricity now.
Solar Powered String Brightness - The Best Way To Grace Your Very Own Home
Solar LED lights are increasingly becoming popular day by day due to its wide applications. Solar LED lights are best option for you to light up your house; they not only help in saving power but also help you to maintain a cleaner environment.
Tips On Ordering The Appropriate Solar Light Bulbs
Everyone is in competition to have more and more profits. And the only possible thing to happen is either the income would increase or the expenses would go down.
Alternative Electricity For Your Household
The trend toward homes that are powered by alternative energy sources, ranging from wind turbines and solar collection cells to hydrogen fuel cells and biomass gases, is one that needs to continue into the 21 st century and beyond.
Renewable Power Opportunities - The Switch From Standard To Highly Effective
The oil market is not the only market that's looking up. You'll find that alternative fuel stocks are also attracting many investors.
Renewable Energy In The Sea: Warm Sea Water Found On The Surface
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) was conceived by the French engineer Jacques D'Arsonval in 1881. However, at the time of this writing the Natural Energy Laboratory from Hawaii was the home to the only operating experimental OTEC plant on the face of the earth.