Amazing Solar Power Fun Facts

Here is a collection of fascinating solar power fun facts. People have used the sun as a heat resource for thousands of years. It is only with the progress in technology that have taken place in recent years that have helped us to fully harness this energy.

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

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

In 1921 the Nobel Peace Prize was given to Albert Einstein for investigations with solar power and photovoltaics.

Back in 1955 The American Solar Energy Society held its first meeting in Phoenix and attracted the first Russian scientist to the US following the second World War. There is film footage presenting early photovoltaics which was developed for NASA, solar cookers and solar heating panels.

The first solar flight occurred in 1974 in California by an unmanned plane which was specially designed by two brothers Roland and Bob Boucher.

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

The earliest World Solar Challenge took place in 1987. This is the solar-powered motor competition covering 3021 km over the Australian outback from Darwin to Adelaide.

Did you know it is possible to boost any solar panel productivity by 75% simply by positioning a mirror which is approximately twice the size of the panel on the surface in front of the solar panel?

PV cells do not need direct sunlight to work - you may still generate some electric power on a gloomy day.

Solar electricity is a green, renewable power that does not release any harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants. An average home PV system can help save around 1200kg of CO2 each year which is about 30 tonnes over a lifetime.

You can store the electricity that a solar power system generates in batteries for a cloudy day.

You may sell off any extra electricity you generate using your solar power back to the grid and make a little bit of money.

It takes only about eight minutes for solar energy to travel from the sun down to earth.

Around 30% of the radiation we receive from the sun at the upper atmosphere is reflected back up into space. The rest is absorbed by the clouds, oceans and also land masses here on Earth. Nevertheless even in these types of conditions, the power that our planet gets from just a single hour of sun exposure is equal to the amount of energy that human beings use in a whole year.

Large scale solar projects which are being developed world wide show that sun powered clean energy technology are both attainable and lucrative. Solar power plants generate Megawatts (MW) with one MW being sufficient energy to supply 1000 households. One of the largest solar power projects that the world has ever seen is the "Desertec" program to use the uninhabitable North African desert for a power grid of concentrated thermal electrical power stations which will supply Europe with all of its energy requirements by the year 2050. So much progress in such a short period of time let us see exactly where solar electricity will go from here.

Improve Your Landscape Using Solar Outdoor LED Bulbs
You can find solar LED lights which have been made especially for the outside. These lights can exist through extreme weather conditions. There are also solar lights that feature vandal-proof panels. The actual fact that most of these are automatic also adds to their effectiveness.

Solar Energy Veranda LED Light Lamps
A lot of folks are choosing to spend more time outdoors enjoying time on there decks, and at night they're in need of some kind of lighting. This night time light may be rendered by solar deck LED lights.

Solar Powered Porch Cord Lights - Affordable 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.

Calculate Solar Power Cost In Order To Benefit Completely From Your Solar System
There are a number of ways that solar energy can help you to save power and money. Solar power cost however is a turnoff for many people.

Renewable Electricity Just For Your Own 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.

Solar Powered Solar Cells And Sun Heater Systems; 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?

Use The Power Of Sunlight With DIY Solar Powered Energy For Your Home And Produce Your Own Electrical Power
Using the power of sun with solar electricity is a benefit to the environment and to your home. Solar electricity is already being used to supplement power for a number of large cities in North America.