The Early Origins of Solar Power: A Timeline

Many people think that harnessing power from the sun is a new concept.  That couldn’t be farther from the truth.  The early origins of solar power has been dated back to ancient civilizations.  Below is a timeline researched by the Department of Energy that outlines the major historical milestones of solar power.

7^th Century B.C.  –  Utilizing glass to concentrate the sun’s light to create fire and burn ants.

3^rd Century B.C. – Greeks and Romans used magnifying mirrors to light torches for religious ceremonies.

2^nd Century B.C. – A Greek Scientist, Archimedes, was said to use the sun’s reflection off bronze shields to set Roman (the Greek’s enemy) wooden ships ablaze. (No supporting evidence can be found that this happened, but a recreation of the act successfully set a wooden ship on fire.)

20 A.D. – The Chinese used the magnifying properties of mirrors to set torches on fire for religious purposes.

1^st to 4^th Century A.D. – The Romans constructed their bathhouses with large south-facing windows to take advantage of the sun’s warmth.  This is the first implementation of passive solar.

6^th Century A.D. – Sunrooms became so popular homes and public buildings that the Justinian code put “sun rights” into law.

1200s A.D. – Anasazi, ancestors of the Pueblo, made their homes in south-facing cliff dwelling to capture the sun’s warmth in the winter.

1767 – Horace de Saussure, a Swiss Scientist, build the world’s first recorded solar collector to heat food.  It was later used by Sir John Herschel to cook food during a South African expedition.

1816 – Robert Stirling applied for a patent for a “heat engine” which was later used in solar thermal technology.

1839 – French scientist Edmond Becquerel is credited for the discovery of the photovoltaic effect, or generating electricity from the sun’s rays.

1860s – French mathematician August Mouchet introduced the concept of solar-powered steam engines.

1873 – Willoughby Smith experimented with the photoconductivity of selenium.

1876 – William Grylls Adams and Richard Evans Day found that selenium produced electricity under sunlight.

1880 – Samuel P Langley discovers the bolometer which was utilized to calculate light from the faintest stars and the sun’s rays.

1883 – Charlie Fritts was the first to explain solar cells made up of selenium wafers.

1887 – Scientist Heinrich Hertz revealed that the UV light modified the voltage that is able excite two metal electrodes.

1891 – Inventor Clarence Kemp filed a patent for the first commercial solar water heater.

If you are interested in learning more about if solar power is right for your home or business in Massachusetts , please contact Brightstar Solar for a complimentary solar evaluation and free quote.