Join Aldelano for the developments in solar power

If you asked almost anyone when solar power was invented, most people would assume some time in the recent past. The 90s, the late 80s, maybe as far back as the 70s, but anything before that seems unlikely. There is something undeniably modern about the idea of solar power as we know it – often due simply to the way it looks. Aldelano’s own solar appliances are certainly a product of the modern era of solar technology – taking what has gone before and applying it to helping the people who need it most.

But solar power actually goes back a lot further than most would think. As part of our Aldelano History Lesson blog series, we’ll give you a (very) brief look at the history of solar power.

The Source of Solar

Harnessing solar energy – which is the process of deriving power from convert sunlight to electricity – actually dates back to the 1800s, when, according to Ken Butti and John Perlin in A Golden Thread from 1981, the looming scarcity of coal meant that people were searching for alternatives that would offer reliable, renewable power source. Unfortunately, though many developments followed, very few were immediately applied either to industry or daily life.

It wasn’t until the 1970s when practically applicable developments of solar energy began to surface, and that the idea of renewable solar power supplies made their way into the public consciousness. The 1950s up to the 70s had seen a push to improve and lower the costs of solar alternatives, and by the late 70s the U.S. government had launched the Solar Energy Research Institute in a major endorsement for the renewable energy industry, as chronicled by The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power in 1991.

From solar powered cars to solar powered planes, further inventions and innovations in technology behind supplying energy from sunlight were experimented with into the 1980s and 1990s. Although none of them made enough advancements fast enough to become commercially viable, offshoots from research and development had a ripple effect that helped to create residential and commercial rooftop solar. More information on this is available at the Exploring Green Energy website.

According to Solar: photovoltaic: Lighting Up the World, by the mid-90s, many households and offices had adopted solar power in an effort to be more eco-friendly, especially as theories about mankind’s influence on the global climate became more and more common.

Aldelano Applies Solar Where It’s Needed

Although a total global, or even national, shift towards renewable solar energy is still an aspiration rather than an inevitability, the overall benefits of solar power developments throughout different industries has been undeniable.

At Aldelano, we have taken the opportunities offered by solar energy, using it as a source for our Solar ColdBox and Solar WaterMaker, a fresh water generator.

Using solar power means that Aldelano’s products can be used without relying on a dedicated power supply, allowing communities all over the world who have limited access to infrastructure and amenities to take advantage. It also offers a cheap alternative for those who prefer to be self-reliant, or choose to live off-grid. This is just a small part of the history of solar energy and gives you some insight into how far we’ve come. If you’re looking at our solar-dedicated products, we encourage you to look a little bit deeper into the topic – not just because we think it’s fascinating, but because it can help you appreciate the kind of difference you’re making by going solar.