Extraordinary Solar Power Fun Facts


Here is a selection of fascinating solar power fun facts. People have used the sun as a heat source for hundreds of years. It is only with the advancements in technology that have taken place in recent years that have enabled us to fully harness this energy.

Families in ancient Greece built their homes to get the most sunlight during the chilly winter months. The ancient Greeks believed that the sun was the god Helios and he drove his chariot around the earth up towards the sky in the morning and in the evening back again.

The discovery of the photovoltaic effect is credited to the French physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel in 1839.

In 1921 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Albert Einstein for investigations 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 following the second World War. There is film footage exhibiting early photovoltaics which was specially designed for NASA, solar cookers and solar heating panels.

The first solar flight took place in 1974 in California by an unmanned plane which was developed by two brothers Roland and Bob Boucher.

In 1975 the first solar vessel was constructed in England and in 1996 Kenichi Horie from Japan made the first solar powered crossing on the Pacific Ocean in a catamaran.

The first World Solar Challenge was held in 1987. This is a solar-powered car race covering 3021 km over the Australian outback from Darwin to Adelaide.

Did you know that it is possible to increase any solar panel output by 75% by simply placing a mirror that is about twice the size of the panel on the surface in front of the panel?

PV cells do not require direct sunlight to work - you can still produce some electricity on a cloudy day.

Solar electricity is a green, renewable power and does not release any damaging carbon dioxide or other pollutants. A typical home Photovoltaic system could save around 1200kg of CO2 each year which is around 30 tonnes over a lifetime.

It is possible to store the electricity that your solar power system produces in batteries for a cloudy day.

You can sell any extra electricity you produce using your solar power back to the power company and make a bit of money.

It takes no more than 8 minutes for solar energy to travel from the sun to the earth.

Around 30% of the radiation that we receive from the sun in the upper atmosphere is reflected back to space. The remainder is absorbed by the clouds, oceans and land masses on Earth. Yet even in these types of conditions, the energy that our planet receives from just one hour of sun exposure is the same as the amount of power that humans use in a whole year.

Large scale solar projects that are being constructed world wide show that sun powered clean energy technology are both achievable and also profitable. Solar power plants produce Megawatts (MW) with one MW being sufficient energy to supply 1000 homes. One of the largest solar energy projects that the world has ever seen is the "Desertec" plan to utilize the uninhabitable North African desert for a power grid of concentrated thermal power stations which could supply Europe with all of its energy needs by the year 2050. So much progress in such a brief period of time let us see where solar electricity will go from here.

Solar Power Companies - Look Out For The Worldwide Energy Market Leaders
These days there are thousands of solar power companies that are able to supply solar power equipment to homeowners who want to save money on their energy costs.

Solar Powered Cells And Sun Home Heating Devices; Three Essential Types Of Solar Panels.
Solar panels and solar heating systems; 3 basic types of solar panels. There are 3 basic types of Solar Panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous solar panels. 1/ What are Monocrystalline solar panels? 2/ What are Polycrystalline solar panels?

Renewable Energy Just For Your Own Residential Home
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.

How Christmas Solar Garden Lights Can Keep Your Home Safer
Christmas solar lights come on when night falls. They come on all by themselves. You do not need to be in the house for this to happen. Why does this make your house safer?

Solar Powered Porch Cord Lights - Inexpensive Addition To Your Outdoor Deck Lighting
Solar String lights are the most common patio lights, they are similar to Christmas tree lighting with the exception of a plug. Other times you see them wrapped around a tree trunk, hung across a veranda or utilized in some form of outdoor garden decorations.

Solar Energy Gathering As A Possible Sustainable Energy Resource
Photovoltaic cells are getting more efficient and gradually less expensive thanks to innovative designs which allow them to focus the gathered sunlight on a concentrated point.

Methods On Choosing The Most Beneficial 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.