Solar Energy, Historical Evolution of the Use Of
Every ninety-five minutes an object the size of a bus circles Earth. It represents an unparalleled achievement in space observation technology and is called the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Since its deployment in 1990, the HST has brought images to the astronomy community that traditionally had been reserved for expensive long-range space missions by unmanned craft. One of the essential technological developments that make the HST such an attractive investment is its use of one "natural resource" found in space, the sun. The HST utilizes photovoltaic technology to capture the sun's rays and convert them directly into electricity. This procedure is commonly referred to active solar generation.
Active solar generation is nothing new to the space industry. Photovoltaics have been used to power satellites since the late 1950s and are an essential element to the new international space station. Closer to home, active solar technologies are used on houses and buildings to generate heat, hot water, and electricity. Spacecraft use of the sun is indeed a technological marvel. However, strategic use of the sun for heating and cooling is not a new discovery. In fact, 2,400 years ago the Greek philosopher Socrates observed:
Now in houses with a south aspect, the sun's rays penetrate into the porticos in winter, but in the summer, the path of the sun is right over our heads and above the roof, so that there is shade.
This page contains 201 words.
Solar Energy, Historical Evolution of the Use Of article
Read the rest of this article.
This article contains 2,519 words
(approx. 8 pages at 300 words per page).
Order our Solar power Article
