During the 1960s and early 1970s the use of solar cells in space flourished but down on Earth electricity from the sun seemed not very perspective option. The high costs of the PV…
Read moreThe International Space Station in December, 2001. Credit: the crew of STS-108, NASA Starting in the 1950s and 60s, the space industry was the first market for photovoltaics. Photovoltaics were light and the…
Read moreBell Labs engineer testing solar battery in 1954 Credit: Bell Labs website 1904 – Albert Einstein published his paper on the photoelectric effect (along with a paper on his theory of relativity). Wilhelm…
Read moreThe effect of light on the electric properties of certain materials was observed way back even before electricity became generally available. In 1839 the nineteen-year-old French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel observed the photovoltaic…
Read moreThe First European Solar Days will be celebrated on the 16th and 17th May 2008 with more than 4000 events and will reach thousands of European citizens throughout Europe. The ‘Tag der Sonne’…
Read morePicture: DOE/EERE Photovoltaic cells (PVs) (also known as “solar cells”) work by transforming light that comes from the sun directly into electricity without an intermediate mechanical device or thermal process. The term photovoltaic…
Read moreHere are a few video clips which show how to take maximum advantage of the sun’s light and heat using passive solar energy designs:
Read moreDiagram of a house with a combined solar domestic hot water and space heating system (“combisystem”) (www.estif.org) Active solar energy is more complex and requires mechanical devices to capture, store and convert the…
Read morePicture: westernwashingtonsolar.com Space heating means heating the space inside a building. Passive solar space heating relies on incorporating building features that absorb heat and then release it slowly to maintain the temperature within…
Read moreSolar heating can be used to heat the space in homes and buildings or to heat the water. There are two basic types of solar heating systems: passive solar heating and active solar…
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