04 Mar Early Uses of Solar Power
In its very basic form, solar power is nothing new. After all, the power of the sun has been hard at work on Planet Earth since the very earliest days of the solar system.
So, when we talk about advances in solar power in Florida, what we are really talking about are advances in the technology that allows us to harness the power of the sun to fuel our day-to-day energy needs.
And, whether you are talking about whole home solar systems or solar powered security lights in the yard, our brilliant sun is the ultimate power source.
Early Uses of Solar Power
Our ancient ancestors might not have had solar panel systems, but that didn’t stop them from harnessing the power of the sun. Here are a few examples of how they did it, courtesy of the National Geographic:
- Thousands of years ago, our ancestors figured out some of the basic principles of solar architecture. “Early civilizations around the world positioned buildings to face south to gather heat and light. They used windows and skylights for the same reason, as well as to allow for air circulation,” NatGeo’s experts report. Ancient builders also made strategic use of shade (kind of the opposite of solar power!) and used materials that would store heat, such as stone. These same principles are still used today – but now builders and architects have computer programs to help them do it!
- Greenhouses represent another early attempt to tap into the power of the sun. “One of the earliest greenhouses dates to 30 CE, before glass was even invented,” National Geographic reports. “Constructed from translucent sheets of mica, a thin mineral, it was built for the Roman emperor Tiberius, who wanted to be able to eat cucumbers all year.”
You don’t have to be a fan of cucumbers to be impressed by either the ingenuity of ancient innovators or the power of the sun.
If you would like more information about the modern applications of solar power, including home solar systems, please contact us.
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