HISTORY OF SOLAR POWER

With the rise in energy costs, people are looking for alternate energy sources. One of the greatest energy sources, sun is readily available for the taking. We just need to be able to harness its power. The history of solar cells started way back in 1876. William Grylls Adams along with a student discovered that when selenium was exposed to light, it produced electricity.The period from the 1970’s to the 1990’s saw quite a change in the usage of solar cells. They began showing up on railroad crossings, in remote places to power homes, Australia used solar cells in their microwave towers to expand their telecommunication capabilities. Even desert regions saw solar power bring water to the soil where line fed power was not an option.

Today we see solar cells in a wide variety of places. You may see solar powered cars. There is even a solar-powered aircraft that has flown higher than any other aircraft with the exception of the Blackbird. With the cost of solar cells well within everyone’s budget, solar power has never looked so tempting.Recently new technology has given us screen printed solar cells, and a solar fabric that can be used to side a house, even solar shingles that install on our roofs. International markets have opened up and solar panel manufacturers are now playing a key role in the solar power industry.