Solar Energy History

Solar energy history lets us know that solar power technology isn't really new. It has been around for a very long time in one form or another. In fact, the earliest known record of people using solar power goes all the way back to to the 7th Century B.C.

Here is a short summary of how solar energy has been used in both ancient and modern times.

• 7th Century B.C. - A very smart person figured out how to concentrate the sun's rays with a magnifying glass to make fire!
• 3rd Century B.C. - Ancient Romans and Greeks were known to light torches with burning mirrors and use them in their religious ceremonies, and during military operations.
• 2nd Century B.C. - A Greek scientist named Archimedes developed a way to focus sunlight by using bronze shields to reflect the light and set fire to the Roman ships which were attacking Syracuse.
• 1st to 4th Century A.D. - Roman bath houses were developed with large, south facing windows that effectively let in the sun's warmth and kept people warm without overheating.
• 6th Century A.D. - A new law in Rome and other parts of Europse called the Justinian Code created "sun rights", which ensured that each person would be able to access the sun. This law came to pass because so many sun rooms were built into homes and public buildings.
• 1200 A.D. - The Anasazi people of North America developed cliff dwellings that were able to harness the power\of the the winter sun. The Anasazi are ancestors of the Pueblo people.
• 1767 - A Swiss scientist named Horace de Saussure builds the world's first solar collector technology. He is credited with the invention, but there may have been others who were using similar tools. This is later used by explorer Sir John Herschel to help him cook food during an expedition to South Africa in the 1830's.

Solar Energy History in the 19th Century

• 1816 - Robert Stirling, a full time minister and part time inventor, created a heat engine called the "economiser" and applied for a patent at the Chancery in Edinburgh, Scotland. This invention was later used in a new system called the dish/Stirling system which was able to concentrate the sun’s thermal energy to produce power.
• 1839 - French scientist Edmond Becquerel makes a new discovery while in the process of experimenting with an electrolytic cell. He placed two metal electrodes in a solution that conducted electricity, and he found that the electricity increased when exposed to light. This is now known as the photovoltaic effect.
• 1860's - A French mathematician named August Mouchet develops a new idea for creating solar powered steam engines, which he later constructed over a period of several decades.
• 1870's - 80's - Scientists and inventors discover that selenium can be used as a photoconductor, and they begin to apply this new technology.
• 1891 - Baltimore inventor Clarence Kemp patents the very first commercial solar water heater.

This sums up solar energy history from its origins in ancient times, to the beginning through the 19th century.

Today new discoveries are being made about solar energy every day, as we seek long term, healthy, sustainable energy solutions for ourselves, our children and all people on this Earth!

More on Solar Energy History

History of Solar Power - 20th Century History

These are some of the important developments in the history of solar power from 1900 to the 1970's. It's amazing how far we've come, and yet how much further there is to go.

History of Solar Energy from 1980 to Present

These are some of the most important developments in the history of solar energy in recent times. Although there is much we still do not know about the recent history of solar power, these are some of the highlights!

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