Bringing PV Cells from Space back down to Earth- May 28, 2008 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 cells made them uneconomical for use on the earth where low price is the main factor. In the early 1970's a way to lower to cost of solar cells was discovered. Dr. Elliot Berman, with financial help from Exxon Corporation, designed a significantly less costly solar cell by using a poorer grade of silicon and packaging.http://www.solarenergygreenlifestyleforyou.com/2008/05/bringing-pv-cells-from-space-back-d... Photovoltaics and the Space Industry- May 23, 2008 The International Space Station in December, 2001. Credit: the crew of STS-108, NASAStarting in the 1950s and 60s, the space industry was the first market for photovoltaics. Photovoltaics were light and the "fuel" is both weightless and free for the taking. The high costs were never an issue since money was never a problem with the space industry.In 1954 Bell Laboratories built the first photovoltaic module. It was billed as a solar battery and was mostly just a curiosity as it was too...http://www.solarenergygreenlifestyleforyou.com/2008/05/photovoltaics-and-space-industry.ht... Photovoltaic History - Key Milestones in the 1900s- May 21, 2008 Bell Labs engineer testing solar battery in 1954 Credit: Bell Labs website1904 - Albert Einstein published his paper on the photoelectric effect (along with a paper on his theory of relativity). Wilhelm Hallwachs makes a semiconductor-junction solar cell (copper and copper oxide).1914 - The existence of a barrier layer in photovoltaic devices was noted.1916 - Robert Millikan provided experimental proof of the photoelectric effect.1918 - Polish scientist Jan Czochralski developed a way to grow..http://www.solarenergygreenlifestyleforyou.com/2008/05/photovoltaic-history-key-milestones... Photovoltaic (PV) History - the Beginning- May 19, 2008 The 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 effect for the first time. Experimenting with metal electrodes in a weak electrolyte or conducting solution (such as salt water) exposed to sunlight, he discovered the appearance of small amounts of electric current.However, Becquerel's discovery couldn't...http://www.solarenergygreenlifestyleforyou.com/2008/05/photovoltaic-pv-history-beginning.h... European Solar Days- May 16, 2008 The 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' was first celebrated in Austria in 2002, and the idea has already been adopted by Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands. In the case of Germany a whole week is dedicated to the campaign. This wonderful idea is now for the first time extended to more countries: France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Italy,...http://www.solarenergygreenlifestyleforyou.com/2008/05/european-solar-days.html Photovoltaic Cells- May 15, 2008 Picture: DOEEEREPhotovoltaic 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 is derived by combining the Greek word for light, "phos", with the word "voltaic". The term "volt" is a measure of electricity named for Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), a pioneer in the study of electricity. Photovoltaics literally means light-electricity. The basic...http://www.solarenergygreenlifestyleforyou.com/2008/05/photovoltaic-cells.html Passive Solar Energy Designs- May 9, 2008 Here are a few video clips which show how to take maximum advantage of the sun's light and heat using passive solar energy designs:http://www.solarenergygreenlifestyleforyou.com/2008/05/passive-solar-energy-designs.html Active Solar Heating- May 7, 2008 Diagram 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 solar power into other useful forms of energy.Active solar heating generates much more heat than passive systems do. Active solar heating relies strongly on three components: a solar collector to absorb the solar energy, a solar storage system, and a heat transfer system to...http://www.solarenergygreenlifestyleforyou.com/2008/05/active-solar-heating.html Passive Solar Space Heating- May 5, 2008 Picture: westernwashingtonsolar.comSpace 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 the home. These building features, known as thermal mass, may include large windows, brick walls, and stone flooring. Passive solar heating techniques generally fall into one of three categories: direct gain, indirect gain, and isolated gain. Direct gain is..http://www.solarenergygreenlifestyleforyou.com/2008/05/passive-solar-space-heating.html |