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The period that we associate as modern solar power history is a lot longer than many would think. In fact, it's genesis can be traced some 140 years back to the middle of the Victorian age. Just like the scientists and inventors of today look for alternatives to a dependence on fossil fuels so did the scientists of those times. This article will trace the history from 1860 through to the present day. From 1860 to 1880, the French engineer Auguste Mouchout developed a solar powered engine. The principle of the engine was to convert heat from the sun into steam power. His inspiration was the increased need for coal in the new industrial age and the knowledge that coal resources could not be sustained forever. The authorities in France were extremely interested in the project and began to finance his efforts. This included further research. However as more mines were opened, coal, the primary energy source of the day became cheaper. This caused the French government to lose interest in the project and the financing was stopped. Around this time, William Adams, an Englishman living in India, devised another solution. He built a rack with many small mirrors around a stationary boiler. This allowed him to get 2.5 horsepower out of the engine. In 1885 for approximately 4 years, Charles Tellier performed experiments with solar energy. He eventually created solar collectors that were installed on rooftops. The aim of the collectors was to power refrigeration units. In 1903, Aubrey Eneas started working with solar power. He studied the work of Mouchout but expanded on the scale and efficiency of the original design. He produced a solar power engine that had commercial potential. To this extent, he managed to sell one to a Doctor in Arizona for nearly $2000. It became damaged soon after being transported and was never used. He managed to sell another engine for a similar figure but this was also never used as it became damaged in a hailstorm. At this time, Henry E. Willsie made two solar plants that collected and stored energy during the day to be used during the night. His innovation was to use flat plate collectors that gave a power rating of approximately 15 horsepower. In 1906, Frank Shuman improved on Willsies system to create an engine that had a capacity of 33 horsepower. With further enhancements he eventually got his engine to around 55 horsepower. The solar industry seemed to go into the doldrums during the war years. Not much of note was developed until 1954. Researchers in the Bell laboratories noticed the reaction of silicon with sunlight. The end result was the invention of photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic (PV) cells are the underlying principle behind the solar panels that you see on many a rooftop today. It creates direct current from sun light. During the 1970's, gas shortages and increasing oil prices kick started interest in alternatives to fossil fuels. More time and money was dedicated to alternative energy, including solar power. Most of the research in solar power centered on getting PV cells more efficient while being less expensive. PV cells have come a long way in terms of cost and efficiency. This will only increase, as will new methods of creating solar power, in the future. Many governments and individuals are looking to embrace the technology and provide grants and subsidies for research and use of solar energy.
By: Adrian Fletcher
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