Solar Power History Returns Back To Ancient Civilizations
Friday, 23 July 2010 07:08 | 
Author: Jim Gallow |
The use of the sun for energy is steeped in solar power history. Although the collection and use we see today was not developed until the late 19th century, ancient societies used it for warmth and as a growing tool.
The use of the sun for energy is steeped in solar power history. Although the collection and use we see today was not developed until the late 19th century, ancient societies used it for warmth and as a growing tool.
Greeks, Romans, and Native Americans all used the sun for their heating and even for the growing of plants. Glass windows were used by Romans because they understood the benefits of catching sun through glass and that the heat did not escape easily.
The glass collection of heat was used not only to heat their homes naturally, but they discovered that if they gathered windows and planted seeds inside they could grow plants and vegetables more efficiently and their growing season was longer.
Native Americans were using solar power from around the year 400 BC. They built homes into the sides of mountains and hills so that they could capture the sun in the daytime. Then the heat would escape in the night and be collected once again in the daytime.
Though the Greeks and the Native Americans had no contact with each other they still both managed to discover the sun as a source of free and natural heat. It was such an obvious resource that it could not be overlooked by any intelligent society.
The sun's power was not harnessed or utilized in any other way known for several centuries more. It wasn't until Horace de Saussare created a cone shaped collector for the sun, which he used to boil ammonia to create locomotion and refrigerant effect. Since this new idea, the scientists of the world were enthusiastically trying to find other uses for the sun.
Steam engines were developed next, but were not particularly efficient. They were expensive to run and difficult to keep running once they were started. There was still great potential in the sun's power, though, so experimentation continued and a solar cell was invented in the 1800's, beginning the practical solar power history.
The use of the sun for energy is steeped in solar power history. Although the collection and use we see today was not developed until the late 19th century, ancient societies used it for warmth and as a growing tool.
Greeks, Romans, and Native Americans all used the sun for their heating and even for the growing of plants. Glass windows were used by Romans because they understood the benefits of catching sun through glass and that the heat did not escape easily.
The glass collection of heat was used not only to heat their homes naturally, but they discovered that if they gathered windows and planted seeds inside they could grow plants and vegetables more efficiently and their growing season was longer.
Native Americans were using solar power from around the year 400 BC. They built homes into the sides of mountains and hills so that they could capture the sun in the daytime. Then the heat would escape in the night and be collected once again in the daytime.
Though the Greeks and the Native Americans had no contact with each other they still both managed to discover the sun as a source of free and natural heat. It was such an obvious resource that it could not be overlooked by any intelligent society.
The sun's power was not harnessed or utilized in any other way known for several centuries more. It wasn't until Horace de Saussare created a cone shaped collector for the sun, which he used to boil ammonia to create locomotion and refrigerant effect. Since this new idea, the scientists of the world were enthusiastically trying to find other uses for the sun.
Steam engines were developed next, but were not particularly efficient. They were expensive to run and difficult to keep running once they were started. There was still great potential in the sun's power, though, so experimentation continued and a solar cell was invented in the 1800's, beginning the practical solar power history.