Solar power information on solar systems for solar energy houses will be the topic of this and the next in this series.

Solar power, a wonderful renewable source of energy, has been around since the world was formed. It was not until the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, however, that the U.S. and other countries began to seriously consider solar power as an energy source. Other fuels were problematic. Fears that fossil fuels would be exhausted soon sparked a move toward solar systems and solar energy houses.

Solar power information on solar systems for solar energy houses became very popular. Some towns pushed for citizens to install solar systems and make their homes into solar energy houses. Some encouraged small businesses to do the same. Early solar systems cost a lot, however, and were not efficient. Problems developed. Roofs leaked due to faulty installation. Panels broke - or water leaked into them.

In those early years, even when solar power information was given on solar systems and solar energy houses, it left more questions asked than answered. long-term advantages and disadvantages of solar power were unknown.

Twenty-five years ago, many people decided solar power was little more than an expensive experiment. PV panels remained on roofs, but few new ones were installed. It might work to have solar power in Baja, Mexico, they said, but you would be foolish to install a home solar power system in Canada.

Passive Solar Power

Solar power is not limited to photovoltaic (PV) panels on house roofs, however. Solar power can be passive. Passive solar power has shown its efficiency and its cost effectiveness in many homes. It can cut existing energy bills the first year it is in use.

Here are a few simple ways you can “install” passive solar power, and begin to make yours a solar energy home.

1. Increase sunlight: Let the sun’s solar power do part of the heating in your home. If you can, replace windows that face the sun in winter, installing tall windows angled to catch sunlight. If you cannot replace windows, open curtains as soon as sunlight hits the window in the morning, letting in as much solar power as possible.

2. Correct air leaks: Many homes, especially older ones, have air leaks that allow indoor air to escape, or outdoor air to enter. Whether you are heating your home or air conditioning it, air leaks can increase your energy bills. Check around windows and doors, and add weather stripping as needed to retain solar power heat that has entered.

3. Hang drapes: Utilize heavy, insulated window drapes. In cold seasons, close them when the sun moves beyond the windows. This will hold solar power heat inside the home. In hot seasons, reverse use.

4. Windbreak trees: People have known for centuries that a simple windbreak on the side of the home that receives cold winds allows you to retain solar power that you receive naturally. A windbreak is a row of closely-planted evergreen trees.

5. Shade trees: Just as a windbreak can keep wind from stealing your solar power, shade trees can keep out unwanted solar power in hot seasons. Plant shade trees close enough to the sun-facing side of your home to block heat from windows. They will provide natural air conditioning. Use deciduous trees, and they will lose their leaves in time to give you winter solar power.

In Part 3 of this series, we will look at “active” solar power information on solar systems for solar energy houses.

Solar power has been in use for centuries, as people used the energy from the sun to dry clothing and food. Solar power has been in use for generating thermal and electrical energy for more than 100 years.

Solar power ovens have been in use since at least the 1700’s. Currently, you can find people using solar power ovens daily in some 126 countries around the world. Others use them for camping or emergency.

Solar Power Ovens’ Advantages

Solar power ovens have many advantages, no matter where you live.

* Solar power ovens save money, since they require neither electrical or gas energy.

* Solar power ovens are safe, with no danger of fire.

* In an emergency such as storm or earthquake, when power outages occur, solar power ovens provide cooked food.

* A solar power oven is portable and convenient for camping.

* They have no more limitations than a normal oven so far as what can be cooked. You can defrost in them when sunlight is weaker, as in the morning. You can keep cooked food warm in them when the sun begins to go down in the afternoon.

* Foods can be cooked in their natural state, without added fats. Fruits and vegetables need no added liquid. Grains and dried legumes need 25 percent less liquid. All foods retain nutrients.

* Solar power ovens require no particular recipes.

Solar Power Ovens’ Disadvantages

Solar power ovens have disadvantages, too, if course. You must have them in the sunshine. You must shield them from wind that would cool the oven. The brighter the day, the hotter they can cook, but an overcast day will mean some foods will not cook well enough. If the day is cloudy, you can still cook, but it will be low temperature cooking.

Description of Solar Power Ovens

You can purchase several models of solar power ovens - or you can build your own. Most look like a box with solar “panels” attached to absorb solar energy from sunlight. A clear covering allows sunlight to enter at the top, and holds it inside, much as car windows do on a sunny day. The inside of the box is black to trap light.

Cookware for a Solar Power Oven

Solar ovens use black, covered pots. You should NOT use thin dishes or aluminum, both of which heat quickly, but do not retain the heat. Cast iron is a good choice for a solar power oven. The pot or pan should be shallow and somewhat larger than the food you are cooking.

To cook food, set your solar power oven in a spot that is not windy, and aim the oven at the sun. If you want to preheat your oven, wait up to 45 minutes. An oven thermometer will tell you when the oven has reached the temperature you need. Put your food into the oven, and let the sun do its work. To keep the temperature consistent in your solar power oven, simply turn the oven as the sun moves. Food will cook as long as you have 20 minutes of sun per hour.

A solar energy definition in its briefest form might be no more than 4 words: “electricity produced from sunlight”.

A solar energy definition that is more precise might read: “energy received from the sun in the form of sunlight that is captured by solar panels and changed into thermal or electrical energy”.

Solar Energy’s Natural Beginnings

Many people believe solar energy is a very recent technological discovery. In fact, solar energy had its beginnings hundreds of years ago. Thermal solar energy has been used for centuries to dry clothing and meat, and to preserve a variety of foods. Even children have known for years that concentrating sunlight through a magnifying lens, or bouncing it from a mirror, could produce thermal energy to start a fire.

Solar Energy’s Inventive Beginnings

More than 100 years ago, inventors discovered how to capture the sun’s rays and produce mechanical power. They built impressive arrays to accomplish their task, and learned most of what we know today about solar energy.

The earliest recorded use of solar energy is from 1860 to 1880, and is attributed to Auguste Mouchout. Mouchout was a mathematics instructor at the Lyce de Tours in France. Mouchout began his solar work in 1860 due to a serious concern that the supply of coal on which France was dependent would someday be depleted. “It would be prudent and wise,” he wrote, “not to fall asleep regarding this quasi-security. Eventually industry will no longer find in Europe the resources to satisfy its prodigious expansion. Coal will undoubtedly be used up. What will industry do then?”

Mouchout invented a motor that would convert solar energy into mechanical steam power. France’s government was excited, and gave him financial backing. In the years that followed, Mouchout and others created increasingly more efficient solar energy machines. But then the price of coal fell. Solar energy didn’t seem as important, and the government withdrew its backing.

It sounds much like the problems faced by solar energy in modern society.

Solar Energy’s Continuing Progress

Solar energy experimentation did not remain in France. A growing group of scientists in various countries joined the study. In 1892, a Boston resident, Aubrey Eneas, began solar motor experimentation. In 1990, he formed the first solar power company: The Solar Motor Co. Soon, Mr. Eneas moved to the sunny southwest and continued his work until 1905. He and others like him invented solar energy machines to pump water across the arid desert. They were sure the machines were commercially viable, and the work continued until 1914.

Solar Energy since 1914

World War I brought a halt to solar energy experimentation. By the time the war ended, nations had found better ways of transporting fossil fuels, and interest in solar energy was little more than curiosity.

The public drew a veil over the notion that solar energy was available and should be developed. Little was said or done about it during the next 60 years. When the United States experienced a severe energy crisis in the 1970’s, solar energy came into the limelight again. Many people were convinced that the nation should install new photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on every home and building. Then the energy crisis ended. Solar panels were expensive, and people turned away from them again.

Solar Energy Today

Had modern society spent more time studying the work of solar energy’s early pioneers and their machinery, we might have made the switch from fossil fuels to solar energy when society was crying for it. Society is too accustomed to living in the moment, however, and when the price of fuels fell again, solar energy seemed like too much trouble.