More Info on Solar Energy History

This page provides Info on Solar Energy History in the 1900's During this time the advantages of solar energy began to emerge and an industry began to grow.

By the 1900's the refinement phase had begun. The technology was proved and tested though inefficient and cumbersome.

The 20th century would see the solar snowball start rolling, slowly.

In the early 1900's solar power businesses would start and flounder before their entrepreneurs ever made a sale. These visionaries paved the way for the solar alternative.

Even Einstein got into the mix and published a nobel prize winning paper on the potential of energy production from the sun in 1904.

Info on Solar Energy History - The Refinement Phase.

The 1900's brought new discoveries in better, more efficient and less costly materials.

In 1953 selenium gave way to silicon.

Quite by accident, Physicist Gerald Pearson produced a photovoltaic cell using silicon that vastly out performed the selenium cell. Sceintists fine tuned the experimental silicon cell to produce enough energy to run electrical equipment.

1954 the first silicon solar cell that produces enough power to run electrical equipment and by 1955 commercial licenses are available to allow production of solar run products.

Although the technology now existed, silicon solar power was 600 times more expensive to produce than energy from the mainstream power plant. Kind of a tough sell.

For the next few years the use of silicon solar cells was relegated to the toy and gadget industry. Just as it looked like this marvelous discovery would never be more than a novelty it was given it's first major project by the US Navy in the late 1950s.

The Navy's task was to power the earth orbiting satellite, Vanguard. Dr Hans Ziegler postulated that the plan to use chemical batteries to power Vanguard would fail and solar cells were their answer. At first, reluctant to try the new solar power for the satellite the navy were repeatedly exhorted by Ziegler to try the new technology.

a small silicon solar power system was added to the chemical battery system. Good thing too. As Ziegler had predicted the solar cells kept the Vanguard in touch with earth for years while the battery system failed within days.

Over the next two decades solar cells became the accepted method of powering satellites not just in the US, but worldwide.

In the 70s Dr Elliot Berman, cutting corners where he could, produced a solar cell that cost one fifth the price that the current cells cost.

This opened the doors for solar in remote areas where the cost of bringing power lines and maintaining systems was considerable.

Lighthouses, navigational buoys and railway crossings were soon sporting shiny new solar panels.

1,500 miles of the Australian Outback were equipped with low maintenance solar panels which still provide access to telecommunication systems for Australia's most isolated residents.

Solar water pumps established in Africa and other arid nations in the 70s still quietly provide clean water to otherwise parched communities.

Even offshore or remote oil rigs (ironically) began to use solar cells to run some systems.

In these areas it actually turned out to cost much less than the costs incurred in maintaining remote systems. The savings in manpower and non-rechargeable batteries soon made solar the source of choice for powering in unpopulated areas.

Solar had found a place to shine and solar manufacturing businesses began to thrive.

But still, for residential and commercial use the cost was exorbitant and few consumer's showed any interest in trading their cheap power source for the expense of a cumbersome solar array.

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