Solar Energy has a long
history, to say the least. From the seventh century, when a piece of glass was
used, in combination with the sunlight, to start a fire.
In 1973, the Greek Navy
re-created a tale, dating back to
Archimedes
(a Greek Scientist from the second century). The tale tells of the Greek Navy
following Archimedes instructions to utilize the reflective properties of their
bronze shields in order to focus the sun's energy on the Roman Navy wooden ships
in order to set them ablaze. In 1973, this experiment actually worked...At 150
feet away, the Greek Navy was able to ignite a fire on a wooden ship by
utilizing the same method of reflecting the sunlight.
In 1977, Total Photovoltaic
Manufacturing exceeds 500 Kilowatts. 1 Kilowatt is enough power to light up ten
- 100 watt light bulbs.
1983 -
Arco Solar
builds a 6 Megawatt Substation of 120 acres, in California and powers 2,500
homes through this station.
Since ground temperature
(six feet and deeper, below the surface) has a range of 45 to 70 degrees
Fahrenheit, year around, the main concept behind geothermal heat pumps is
utilize this natural insulator by removing the heat from your home in the summer
and discharge it into the cooler ground and adding heat to your home in the
winter by drawing it from the warmer ground. Geothermal heat pumps achieves this
by using types of systems; closed loop and open loop systems. (see images below)
The closed loop system
designed is based upon the square footage each individual home. The greater the
square footage, the more loops below the ground. This system uses an anti-freeze
solution within the system.
The open loop system uses a
conventional well to cool and heat. The water passes through a heat exchanger,
located inside the home, where the hot or cold water is extracted and sent back
to the well. This system usually requires two separate wells.
The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008
offers a one time tax credit of 30% of total investment for homeowners,
installing ground loop or ground water geothermal heat pump systems, installed
between 2009 and 2016.
Geothermal heat pumps are now
considered part of the
Green Building Initiative.
However, these pump systems still require a considerable amount of power to
operate the pumps, heat exchangers and compressors and therefore are considered
to be a lesser valued "renewable energy" source, unless somehow powered by
a solar electric system.
