Scribd Logo
Hochladen

Willkommen bei Scribd!

  • History of Solar Energy

    Hochgeladen von

    Tom Cotter
    192 Ansichten7 Seiten
    While early mankind used passive solar for light and heat, it was in 1890 that the photovoltaic effect was observed by Henri Becquerel. This became a subject of scientific inquiry through the early 20th century. In fact, Albert Einstein's only Nobel Prize was awarded for his work in solar power research. In 1954, Bell Labs in the U.S. introduced the first solar photovoltaic device that produced a useful amount of electricity. By 1958, solar cells were being used in small-scale scientific and commercial applications, including the space program. The energy crisis of the 1970s saw the beginning of major interest in using solar cells for power here on Earth, but prohibitive prices (approximately 30 times current prices) made large scale applications unfeasible. About the same time, solar hot water systems were more cost-effective, and many still operate decades later on homes across the nation. Industry developments and research during this period made PV feasible for remote applications, especially for the telecommunications industry, and a cycle of increasing production and decreasing costs began which continues today. From 1984 through 1990, the first solar electric generation station (SEGS) plants were built in California's Mohave Desert. The nine plants still operate today. In fact, plants III - IX were upgraded with new tubes for improved efficiency. The new millennium has seen PV become cost-effective in a rapidly growing number of areas as research and production advances continue every day. Global PV market growth has averaged more than 25 percent annually over the last 10 years, with worldwide growth rates for the last 5 years well over 35 percent. At these rates, installed solar power doubles every 4 years or less. However, this rapid growth is still from a small base; PV still accounts for a small percentage of electricity generation worldwide. The U.S. solar energy market grew more than 48 percent in 2007 as a result of state and federal policies and incentives. Future growth depends upon continued incentives and improved efficiencies along the supply chain until the price is competitive with traditional fossil fuels. Industry experts anticipate this will occur in 2015 or 2016. Other factors like a cost for emitting carbon may help the solar energy reach cost-parity sooner. Source: http://seia.org/cs/about_solar_energy/history

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Verfügbare Formate

    PDF, TXT oder online auf Scribd lesen

    Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

    Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

    Dieses Dokument melden
    While early mankind used passive solar for light and heat, it was in 1890 that the photovoltaic effect was observed by Henri Becquerel. This became a subject of scientific inquiry through the early 20th century. In fact, Albert Einstein's only Nobel Prize was awarded for his work in solar power research. In 1954, Bell Labs in the U.S. introduced the first solar photovoltaic device that produced a useful amount of electricity. By 1958, solar cells were being used in small-scale scientific and commercial applications, including the space program. The energy crisis of the 1970s saw the beginning of major interest in using solar cells for power here on Earth, but prohibitive prices (approximately 30 times current prices) made large scale applications unfeasible. About the same time, solar hot water systems were more cost-effective, and many still operate decades later on homes across the nation. Industry developments and research during this period made PV feasible for remote applications, especially for the telecommunications industry, and a cycle of increasing production and decreasing costs began which continues today. From 1984 through 1990, the first solar electric generation station (SEGS) plants were built in California's Mohave Desert. The nine plants still operate today. In fact, plants III - IX were upgraded with new tubes for improved efficiency. The new millennium has seen PV become cost-effective in a rapidly growing number of areas as research and production advances continue every day. Global PV market growth has averaged more than 25 percent annually over the last 10 years, with worldwide growth rates for the last 5 years well over 35 percent. At these rates, installed solar power doubles every 4 years or less. However, this rapid growth is still from a small base; PV still accounts for a small percentage of electricity generation worldwide. The U.S. solar energy market grew more than 48 percent in 2007 as a result of state and federal policies and incentives. Future growth depends upon continued incentives and improved efficiencies along the supply chain until the price is competitive with traditional fossil fuels. Industry experts anticipate this will occur in 2015 or 2016. Other factors like a cost for emitting carbon may help the solar energy reach cost-parity sooner. Source: http://seia.org/cs/about_solar_energy/history

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Als PDF, TXT herunterladen oder online auf Scribd lesen
    Markieren Sie unangemessene Inhalte
    192 Ansichten7 Seiten

    History of Solar Energy

    Hochgeladen von

    Tom Cotter
    While early mankind used passive solar for light and heat, it was in 1890 that the photovoltaic effect was observed by Henri Becquerel. This became a subject of scientific inquiry through the early 20th century. In fact, Albert Einstein's only Nobel Prize was awarded for his work in solar power research. In 1954, Bell Labs in the U.S. introduced the first solar photovoltaic device that produced a useful amount of electricity. By 1958, solar cells were being used in small-scale scientific and commercial applications, including the space program. The energy crisis of the 1970s saw the beginning of major interest in using solar cells for power here on Earth, but prohibitive prices (approximately 30 times current prices) made large scale applications unfeasible. About the same time, solar hot water systems were more cost-effective, and many still operate decades later on homes across the nation. Industry developments and research during this period made PV feasible for remote applications, especially for the telecommunications industry, and a cycle of increasing production and decreasing costs began which continues today. From 1984 through 1990, the first solar electric generation station (SEGS) plants were built in California's Mohave Desert. The nine plants still operate today. In fact, plants III - IX were upgraded with new tubes for improved efficiency. The new millennium has seen PV become cost-effective in a rapidly growing number of areas as research and production advances continue every day. Global PV market growth has averaged more than 25 percent annually over the last 10 years, with worldwide growth rates for the last 5 years well over 35 percent. At these rates, installed solar power doubles every 4 years or less. However, this rapid growth is still from a small base; PV still accounts for a small percentage of electricity generation worldwide. The U.S. solar energy market grew more than 48 percent in 2007 as a result of state and federal policies and incentives. Future growth depends upon continued incentives and improved efficiencies along the supply chain until the price is competitive with traditional fossil fuels. Industry experts anticipate this will occur in 2015 or 2016. Other factors like a cost for emitting carbon may help the solar energy reach cost-parity sooner. Source: http://seia.org/cs/about_solar_energy/history

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Als PDF, TXT herunterladen oder online auf Scribd lesen
    Markieren Sie unangemessene Inhalte
    von 7

    Thee Histtory o

    of Solaar Energy
    A Lo
    ook at Uses o
    of Solarr Energgy from
    m BC to ITC 
    Overrview   
    Solar eenergy has been harnessed d as a form off light and heaat since earlyy mankind. Froom rudimenttary uses as a source of heat 
    in Romman bath housses and Anasaazi dwellings to today’s utility‐scale pow wer stations; solar energy has been a constant and 
    vital prresence in maankind’s everyyday life. As ttechnology haas advanced, the uses of ssolar have divversified, expaanded and 
    become commerciaalized. Advanccements in so olar technologgy sped up exxponentially in the last cenntury and thee future appeaars 
    promissing. 
    Earlyy History 
    Magniffying glasses aand mirrors aare used to co oncentrate thhe sun's rays o
    on a fuel  Anciient Use of 
    f Passive 
    and ignnite a fire for light, warmth
    h and cookingg. As early as 212 B.C., Greeek  Solar
    scientisst Archimedees applied thee reflective prroperties of bronze shieldss to focus 
    sunlighht and set firee to Rome's w
    wooden ships,, which were besieging Syrracuse.  This  den nsely  populaated  Anasazzi 
    Civilizations from Ro ome to Northh America beggin building homes and bath houses  communitty  was  built  into  the  clifff 
    that face the sun in order to captture its heat.  side  in  a  compact  plans  during  thee 
    Classic  Pu ueblo  Period d  (A.D.  1100
    0‐
    Renaaissance aand Enligghtenmen
    nt    1300).  The 
    T open  front 
    f of  thee 
    dwellings  often  faced  southwest  to o 
    1500ss  absorb the most solar energy, whilee 
    the back o of the cliff prrotected them
    m 
    would track the sun 
    Leonarrdo da Vinci sketched conccentrating colllectors that w from  cold d  northern  winds.  The  clifff 
    and foccus sunlight o
    onto a central receiver and
    d he began bu uilding such aa collector  overhangs let the wintter sun in, bu ut 
    in 1515
    5.  shaded  villagers 
    v fromm  the  moree 
    intense su ummer sun.
    1767 
    Swiss sscientist Horace de Saussure is creditedd with building the world's first solar 
    collectoor, later used
    d by Sir John H ook food duriing his South African 
    Herschel to co
    expedition in the 18 830s. 

    19th Centtury 
    The 1
    1839 
    French scientist Edmmond Becque erel discovers the photovoltaic effect w while  Figure 1
    1 
    experimmenting with an electrolyttic cell made up of two meetal electrodees placed 
    in an electricity‐con
    nducting soluttion; the electtricity generaation increasees when 
    exposeed to light. 

    3 
    SEIA | www.seia.orgg                           Septeember 29, 200
    09 
    1891 
    Solarr Technolog
    gy Reachees 
    Baltimo
    ore inventor Clarence Kem
    mp patents th
    he first commercial solar w
    water 
    heater.   the Massses 
    20th Centtury 
    The 2
    1908 
    m J. Bailey of tthe Carnegie Steel Company invents a ssolar thermall collector 
    William
    with co
    opper coils annd an insulateed box, which he same collector design 
    h is roughly th
    used to
    oday. 

    1921 
    Albert Einstein winss the Nobel Prrize for his theories in a 19
    905 paper, wh
    hich 
    Figure 3
    3 
    explain
    ned that light would have tto be both waave and particle (photon). This is 
    called tthe photoelecctric effect.  The  pho oto  above  is  of  the  origiinal 
    Bell  So olar  Batteryy  (photovolttaic 
    1954  panel)  created 
    c in  1954. 
    1 The  next 
    year,  Western  Electrric  began  to  sell 
    Photovvoltaic technoology is born in the United
    d States when
    n Daryl Chapin n, Calvin  commerrcial licenses  for the creation 
    Fuller aand Gerald Peearson develo
    op the silicon photovoltaicc (or PV) cell aat Bell Labs.  of  silicon  photovoltaaic  technologgies 
    Bell Telephone Labo oratories then
    n produced a silicon solar cell with 6 peercent  like  the  solar  poweered  radio  seeen 
    efficien
    ncy.  below. 

    1956 
    Architeect Frank Brid dgers designs the world's ffirst commerccial office buillding 
    featuring solar wateer heating and d passive dessign. The Bridgers‐Paxton b building 
    (Figuree 2) still stand
    ds today and is on the National Registerr of Historical Buildings.  

      Figure 4
    4 

    Figure 2 

    4 
    SEIA | www.seia.orgg                           Septeember 29, 200
    09 
    1958 
    Solar T
    Technologyy takes to tthe  Thee Vanguard I sspace satellite, Explorer IIII, Vanguard II, and Sputnikk‐3 
    aree launched with PV‐powereed systems on board. Silicon solar cells 
    Road and Skies 
    beccome the most widely acceepted energyy source for sp pace 
    appplications and
    d remain so to oday.  

    1974 
    Thee Solar Ener gy Industriees Associatioon (SEIA) is ffounded by  5 
    inddustry memb bers in Wash hington, D.C
    C.  and Sheld
    don Butt is 
    eleected as its ffirst Preside nt. 
     
    1976 
            Figure 5
    Thee NASA Lew is Research  Center startts installing  the first of  83 
    In 1981, Paaul MacCready built the firsst  phootovoltaic p ower system ms on every  continent eexcept 
    solar‐poweered aircraft, tthe Solar  Ausstralia. Theyy provide po ower for vac cine refrige ration, room
    m 
    Challengerr (above), and flew it acrosss  ligh
    hting, mediccal clinic ligh
    hting, teleco
    ommunicatio ons, water 
    the English
    h Channel. The e aircraft had  pummping, grainn milling and d classroom  television. TThe project 
    more than n 16,000 wing‐‐mounted solaar  takkes place fro
    om 1976 to 1 1985 and th en from 199 92 to 
    cells and p
    produced 3,0000 watts of 
    commpletion in  1995. 
    power. The next year, AAustralian Hans 
    Tholstrup drove the firstt solar‐powered 
    car, the Qu
    uiet Achiever ((below), almost  1978 
    2,800 milees between Sydney and Pertth  NASA's Lewis Reesearch Centeer installs a 3..5‐kilowatt phhotovoltaic 
    in 20 days — 10 days fasster than the ffirst  system on the Papago Indian n Reservation in southern A
    Arizona—the 
    gasoline‐powered car to o do so. 
    world's first villaage PV systemm. It provides power for water pumpingg 
    andd residential eelectricity in 1
    15 homes unttil 1983, when grid power 
    reaaches the villaage. The PV syystem is then dedicated too pumping 
    watter from a community well. 

    1979 
    Preesident Carterr installs SWHH on White Ho ouse; first invvestment tax 
    credit that spurss installation of residentiall SWH system ms. 

        Figure 6 1983 
    ARCCO Solar dediicates a 6‐meegawatt photoovoltaic substtation in 
    cen
    ntral California. The 120‐accre, unmanneed facility sup
    pplies Pacific 
    Gas & Electric Comp
    pany's utility ggrid with eno
    ough power fo
    or up to 2,500
    0 homes. 
    Design Associaates complete
    Solar D es a home po
    owered by an integrated, sstand‐alone, 4
    4‐kilowatt photovoltaic system in the 
    Hudson n River Valleyy. 

    5 
    SEIA | www.seia.orgg                           Septeember 29, 200
    09 
    1986 
    The wo orld's largest solar thermal electric facillity is commisssioned in Kraamer Junction
    n, California. G
    Generating 150 MW, the 
    solar field contains rows of mirro ors that conceentrate the su un's energy o m of pipes circulating a heat transfer fluiid. 
    onto a system
    The heeat transfer fluuid is used to
    o produce steaam, which po owers a conveentional turbiine to generaate 
    electriccity.  
    ARCO SSolar releasess the G‐4000 — the world''s first commeercial thin‐film
    m module. 
    Presideent Regan rem
    moves solar p
    panels from th
    he White Hou
    use. 

    1994 
    NREL d develops a sollar cell made of gallium ind um arsenide, the first one of 
    dium phosphide and galliu
    its kind
    d to exceed 300 percent connversion efficciency. 

    1999 
    Construction is com mpleted on 4 TTimes Squaree in New York (Figure 7), th he tallest skysscraper built iin 
    the cityy in the 1990ss. It has more
    e energy‐efficcient featuress than any oth
    her commercial skyscraperr 
    and inccludes buildinng‐integrated photovoltaicc (BIPV) panels on Floors 3 37 through 43 3 on the south h‐ 
    and weest‐facing facades to produ uce part of thhe building's p
    power.    

    Figure 7

    Rece
    ent Historry 
    2000 
    orado family is the largest residential in
    The 12‐kilowatt solaar electric sysstem of a Colo nstallation in the United Sttates to be 
    registeered with the U.S. Departm ment of Energgy's Million So
    olar Roofs pro
    ogram. The syystem providees most of thee electricity ffor 
    the fammily of eight'ss 6,000‐square‐foot home.. 

    2001 
    Home Depot beginss selling resideential solar power systems in three sto
    ores in San Dieego, California. A year lateer it expands 
    sales to
    o 61 stores naationwide. 

    2005 
    The Energy Policy AAct is passed, ccreating an energy and ressearch develoopment program coveringg various reneewable, energgy 
    efficien
    nt, and climatte change tecchnology. Thee act directs the Federal go
    overnment to o implement aan energy con nservation 
    program for federall facilities and
    d enacts the 3
    30‐percent invvestment taxx credit for insstalling solar energy system
    ms. 
    The Energy Policy A
    Act of 2005 (EP
    PAct 05) creaated a new co
    ommercial andd residential ITC for fuel ceells and solar energy 
    system
    ms that applied from January 1, 2006 through Decem mber 31, 2007
    7. 

    6 
    SEIA | www.seia.orgg                           Septeember 29, 200
    09 
    2007 
    Nevadaa Solar One comes online with 64 megaawatts, first C
    CSP plant build in 17 
    years.  Solar H
    Hits the Biig Stage     
     Solar ITC is extendeed for anothe
    er year.  In 2007, Neevada’s Solar O
    One was 
    completed and came onlline.  The 64 
    2008 
    megawatt ffacility is the largest utility‐
    In Octo
    ober, Presiden nt Bush signs the Emergen ncy Economicc Stabilizationn Act of 
    2008, aa piece of legislation that ccontains a number of tax incentives dessigned to  scale conceentrating solarr power (CSP) 
    encourrage both individuals and b businesses to
    o make investtments in solaar energy  plant since the 1980s in tthe US.
    which iincludes  8‐yeear extensionns of the section 48 busineess solar invesstment 
    tax credit (ITC) and the section 25D residentiaal solar ITC. 

    2009 
    Presideent Obama signs the Amerrican Recoverry and Reinveestment Act.  Top 
    solar provisions include the creattion of a Department of Trreasury Grantt 
    Program, an improvvement to the e investment tax credit by eliminating ITC 
    penaltiies for subsidized energy ffinancing, a neew DOE Loan n Guarantee PProgram, 
    Figure 8 
    creatioon of tax incenntives for manufacturing bby offering acccelerated 
    deprecciation and a 3 30 percent re
    efundable taxx credit for thee purchase off 
    manufaacturing equiipment used tto produce so olar material and componeents for 
    all solaar technologiees. 
    The Hoouse passes a bill includingg provisions th
    hat will signifficantly brightten 
    solar's future. This included a ren
    newable enerrgy mandate, safeguards tto limit 
    global warming polllution damage, new autho olar energy to 
    ority to get so
    marketts, and authority for the feederal governnment to enteer 20‐year sollar 
     
    contraccts.  Figure 9 

     
     
     

    About thee Solar Eneergy Indust
    stries Assoc
    ociation 
    Establis
    ished  in  1974
    4,  SEIA  is  the  national  trad
    de  associatio
    on  of  the  sola
    ar  energy  ind
    dustry.    As  thee  voice  of  thee  industry,  SEEIA 
    works  to  make  so olar  a  mainsttream  and  significant 
    s en
    nergy  source  by  expanding  markets,  removing  market  m barrieers, 
    strengtthening the in
    ndustry and eeducating the public on thee benefits of ssolar energy.

    For a referenced
    d version of th
    his factsheet and more infformation, please visit ww
    ww.seia.org.

       

    7 
    SEIA | www.seia.orgg                           Septeember 29, 200
    09 
     
    Works Cited 

    "1954: The Solar Cell." AT&T, 11 June 09. Web. 29 July 2009. <http://www.att.com/>.  

    Burdick, Dave. "White House Solar Panels: What Ever Happened to Carter's Solar Thermal Water Heater (video)." Huffington Post. 27 Jan. 

    2009. Web. 4 Sept. 2009. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/27/white‐house‐solar‐panels_n_160575.html>. 

    "H.R. 6‐‐109th Congress: Energy Policy Act of 2005." GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation). 2005. Jul 31, 2009 

    <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109‐6&tab=summary>  

    "Milestone Buildings of the 20th Century: 1950‐1959." Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. US Department of Energy, 2009. Web. 

    29 July 2009. <www.eere.energy.gov>.  

    "Official Website for Mesa Verde National Park." U.S. National Park Service ‐ Experience Your America. 15 Dec. 2006. Web. 04 Sept. 2009. 

    <http://www.nps.gov/archive/meve/park_info/park_history.htm>. 

    "Renewable Energy." NV Energy, 2009. Web. 29 July 2009. <http://www.nvenergy.com/>.  

    SEIA, Communications. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Federal Issues. 17 February 09. 08 September 09.  

    < http://www.seia.org/cs/american_recovery_and_reinvestment_act>. 

    SEIA. Communications. House Passes Historic Energy‐Climate Bill That Would Boost Solar Energy, Help Us Put Economy Back On Track. 

    News, Research, & Multimedia. 26 June 09. Web. 31 July 2009 <http://www.seia.org/cs/news_detail?pressrelease.id=444>. 

    SEIA, Communications. SEIA’s Top Legislative Priority, ITC Extended. Solar Tax Policy. 03 October 08. 04 September 2009. 

    <http://www.seia.org/cs/solar_tax_policy>. 

    "Solar Timeline." Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. US Department of Energy, 05 Jan. 06. Web. 29 July 2009. 

    <www.eere.energy.gov>.  

    Solar Investment Tax Credit Frequently Asked Questions. Washington: SEIA Communications, 2008. Web. 29 July 2009. 

    <http://www.seia.org/galleries/pdf/ITC_Frequently_Asked_Questions_10_9_08.pdf>. 

    Photo Credits 

    Figure 1: Anasazi cliff dwellings demonstrate passive solar design. Digital image.  Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. US 

    Department of Energy, 11 July 08. 29 July 2009. <http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_time_7bc‐1200ad.html>. 

    8 
    SEIA | www.seia.org                                   September 29, 2009 
    Figure 2: Bridgers‐Paxton Building in Albuquerque, NM. Digital image. Buildings Technology Program. US Department of Energy, 2009. 

    Web. 29 July 2009. <http://www.artistsdomain.com/dev/eere/web/1956.html>. 

    Figure 3: Original Bell Solar Battery. Digital image. 1954: The Solar Cell. AT&T, 11 June 09. Web. 29 July 2009. 

    <http://www.corp.att.com/attlabs/reputation/timeline/54solar.html>. 

    Figure 4: Woman Holding Solar Powered Radio. Digital Image. Kovarik, PHD, Bill. "Photovoltaics." The Summer Spirit. Radford University, 

    2009. 29 July 2009. <www.radford.edu>.  

    Figure 5: The Solar Challenger. Digital Image. Kovarik, PHD, Bill. "Photovoltaics." The Summer Spirit. Radford University, 2009. 29 July 

    2009. <www.radford.edu>.  

    Figure 6: The Quiet Achiever. Digital Image. Snooks, Tom. "The Little Car that Could."  The QuietAchiever‐ BP Solar Car Crossing of 

    Australia. 29 July 2009. <http://www.snooksmotorsport.com.au/solartrek/Solar_Trek/bp_solar_car_crossing_of_austral.htm> 

    Figure 7:  4 Times Square. Digital Image.  Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. US Department of Energy, 24 June 09. 29 July 2009. < 

    http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_time_1900.html#90> 

    Figure 8: Aerial View Nevada’s Solar One Panel Farm. "Renewable Energy." NV Energy, 2009. Web. 29 July 2009. 

    <http://www.nvenergy.com/>.  

    Figure 9: Close up Details of the Installation at Nevada’s Solar One Panel Farm. "Renewable Energy." NV Energy, 2009. 
    Web. 29 July 2009. <http://www.nvenergy.com/>. 

    9 
    SEIA | www.seia.org                                   September 29, 2009 

    Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen