Solar Panels

The history of the modern day solar panel can be traced back many centuries. The original technology that spawned today’s solar panels bares little resemblance to the hi tech technologies of today. However, we could not have developed our solar panels without the ingenuity of previous generations. Horace de Saussare was one of the original giants of innovation way back in 1776. He invented the first solar collector. Hi solar collector was a dome shaped apparatus that would boil ammonia. This invention was the instigator for the first solar power steam engine in 1861. This invention caused people to look up and notice the huge potential available from harnessing the power of the sun.

Moving on through the years and you have the invention of the very first photo-voltaic cells. These were created in the 19th century out of a substance called Selenium. This led to the invention of the commercial solar water heater by an inventor called Clarence Kemp in the year 1891. Albert Einstein would be recognised in the 20th century by winning a Nobel Prize for his great work on photo-electricity.

It wasn’t really until the middle of the 20th century that you began to see solar power in mainstream usage. In the 1950s solar power was used to heat an office building. The solar power revolution was hit badly by economic reasons. People are price conscious and this means that with the fall in oil prices in the 1960s solar power usage fell out of favour.

When oil prices increased once again that is when you noticed solar power coming back into favour. A huge boost for the solar power industry came with the Gulf war in the 1990s. This led to a great boost in the use of solar as an alternative energy source.

Today, solar panels are a very common sight on the landscape. Solar energy accounts for much of the energy the powers our world. This solar power is used in 2 different ways. These ways are photovoltaic conversion format and thermal solar power. Both ways lead to a great source of power and help us meet our energy requirements each year.

If you are looking for solar power installers Tipperary, then contact Eddie Connolly Builders for a quote. We are the renewable energy solution specialists.

categories: renewable energy,solar panels,solar power,home improvement,home,energy,Science,technology

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Solar power has been in existence since the dawning of the universe. It has long been used as a source of renewable energy. Without the light and heat from the sun then live on earth would cease to exist. The sun is so powerful that in ancient times the people would worship the sun as a God. The sun provided the energy needed to sustain their lives so they prayed to it. They never understood the science behind the sun. That was discovered in later years by great minds such as Galileo, Copernicus and Newton. We now have a deep knowledge of the sun and all its power.

The earth is perfectly positioned to sustain life on earth. If it was located any nearer then the earth would burn, if any further then the earth would freeze. That doesn’t mean that the planet does not experience hot and cold periods. Humans have learned how to adapt to these changeable conditions and they have learned how to utilise the light and heat of the sun for their own good.

From 400 BC, the ancient Greek and Native Americans built their houses into the side of hills to soak up and retain the heat storage from the sun during the day that would then be released at night. The Romans also recognised the potential heat energy of the sun and were the first to use glass windows in their houses to trap the sun’s heat. They were also the first to use the sun’s heat energy to grow plants in houses made from glass.

Modern day science has allowed us to examine the output of energy from the sun. Scientists know that the sun provides far more energy than the entire population of the earth uses every day. In fewer than 3 days the energy from the sun that reaches the earth exceeds the energy total produced by fossil fuels. When the sun is directly overhead, 1 acre of land receives 4000 horsepower of energy. These are remarkable statistics.

With this new found scientific knowledge of the power of the sun, it is not surprising that this has caused a huge solar power industry to bloom. Huge money is being spent on research of solar power as a renewable energy source. Solar power will soon be powering the world.

If you are intested in solar panel installation services in Ireland then check out Eddie Connolly builders Nenagh.

categories: renewable energy,solar panels,solar power,home improvement,home,energy,Science,technology

It is well established that the need to identify and develop alternative energy resources is essential for the future. The world cannot continue to rely on finite energy resources such as coal, oil, and gas. The burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) increases CO2 levels in the atmosphere which in turn causes global temperature and climate change.

The need for effective, environmentally friendly and sustainable energy resources is fundamental to the preservation of the environment. Thereby energy resources must be renewable. They must be accessible, effective and self-replenishing.

A lot of work has been done on the area of renewable energy to date. Scientists and researchers search continuously for newer, more effective and economical renewable energy resources. However, it is interesting that the concept of ‘renewable’ energy has become synonymous with innovation and discovery where as for the most part, these resources are as old and phenomenal as the earth itself. Granted, the new and exciting technologies capable of harnessing the renewable power of the sun, wind, waves, biomass etc. and subsequently converting it into usable energy in our daily lives is deserving of its scientifically advantageous badge. However, to use these forces of nature for the purpose of energy harnessing and powering machinery is by no means a new discovery.

Many years ago it is true to say that we derived energy from different sources. The first humans relied on the energy intake from eating food, but as things evolved through the years the early humans learned how to use various tools to exploit energy potential. They could overcome their limitations with these tools and soon with the development of an agrarian society the humans could exploit agrarian energy. One of the earliest examples of the harnessing of wind power by early humans was the invention of a sail by the ancient Egyptians. This led to an age of discovery as new modes of transport allowed them to travel further and further.

A giant leap forward was made in the 1st century when humans began to harness wind power through wind mills. The Greek engineer Heron of Alexandria created the wind wheel and this was the first record of a wind powering machine in history. Their popularity grew quickly and by the year 1000AD windmills could be seen across the Middle East and they were spreading towards Europe. This continued up until this day. Wind turbines can be seen on the landscapes of almost every country in the world. It is one of the fastest growing energy renewable energy resources in the world and long may it continue into the future.

Lead the chase towards a green future. Install wind turbines or solar panels in your house and help the environment

categories: renewable energy,solar panels,wind turbines,home improvement,home,energy,Science,technology