1860 | Auguste Mouchout,(France) a mathematics instructor was able to convert solar radiation directly into mechanical power. |
|
1878 | William Adams (England) constructed a reflector of flat silvered mirrors arranged in a semicircle. To track the sun's movement, the entire rack was rolled around a semicircular track, projecting the concentrated radiation onto a stationary boiler. |
|
1883 | Charles Fritts built the first genuine solar cell. It’s efficiency rate was between 1 – 2 percent. |
|
1883-1884 | John Ericsson (U.S.) invented and erected a Solar engine that used parabolic trough construction. |
|
1921 | Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize for his theories that explained the photoelectric effect. |
|
1947 |
|
|
Mid 1950s | Frank Bridgers designed the world's first commercial office building featuring solar water heating and passive design. The Bridgers-Paxton Building, is listed in the National Historic Register as the world's first solar-heated office building. |
|
1969 | A "solar furnace" was constructed in Odeillo, France; it featured an eight-story parabolic mirror. |
|
1973 | The University of Delaware built "Solar One," a PV/thermal hybrid system. Roof-integrated arrays fed surplus power through a special meter to the utility during the day; power was purchased from the utility at night. In addition to providing electricity, the arrays were like flat-plate thermal collectors; fans blew warm air from over the array to heat storage bins. |
|
1974 | The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) formed. The organization represents the interests of the solar industry and acts as a lobbying group in Washington, DC. |
|
1977 | The Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) formed. SERI--now the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)--is a national laboratory that provides research and development support for solar and photovoltaic technologies. |
|
1978 |
|
|
1981 | California enacted a 25-percent tax credit for the capital costs of renewable energy systems. |
|
1982 | Solar One, a 10-megawatt central receiver demonstration project, was first operated and established the feasibility of power tower systems. In 1988, the final year of operation, the system achieved an availability of 96 percent. |
|
1983 |
|
|
1984 |
|
|
1989 | Federal regulations that govern the size of solar power plants were modified to increase maximum plant size to 80 megawatts from 30 megawatts. |
|
1991 | Luz International went bankrupt while building its tenth SEGS plant. SEGS I through IX remained in operation. |
|
1992 |
|
|
1994 |
|
|
1995 | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) prohibits qualifying facility contracts above avoided costs. |
|
2000 | A 12-kw solar electric system, in Colorado, was the largest residential installation in the U.S. to be registered with the U.S. Department of Energy's “Million Solar Roofs” program. The system provided most of the electricity for the family of eight's 6,000-square-foot home. |
|
2001 |
|
|
2002 | Students from the University of Colorado (CU) built an energy-efficient solar home for the Solar Decathlon, a competition sponsored by the Department of Energy. Student teams integrated aesthetics and modern conveniences with maximum energy production and optimal efficiency. The houses were transported to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where the CU team took first prize overall. |
|
2007 | The Technische Universität Darmstadt won the 2007 Solar Decathlon. The team won the Architecture, Lighting, and Engineering contests. |
Last Revised: July 2008.
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Solar History Timeline:1900's, October 18, 2007.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, "Solar Dish Engine", October 21, 2007.
Smith, Charles “History of Solar Power, Revisiting Solar Power’s Past”, Technology Review: July 95: Solar Power
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Feature: NREL Teams Up with Boeing Spectrolab to Win R&D 100 Award, july 2007.
ASME, “Prime Movers and Power Plants” , August 2007..
EIA Main Home
Page Related
Links Kid's
Page Privacy Contact
Us