Solar power has come a long way in the last sixteen years. In 1994, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, or Solar Energy Research Institute, was still working on construction of the Solar Energy Research Facility.

At this time, this building was intended to be the most energy-efficient of all U.S. government buildings in the world.

It was the first official building to be powered by a solar electric system and have a passive solar design.

This was also the year that the first solar dish generator using a free-piston Stirling engine was connected to a utility grid. Later that year, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory created the solar cell.

This solar cell was made of gallium indium phosphide and gallium arsenide. These solar cells were the first to achieve more than 30 percent conversion efficiency.

Two years later a solar-powered airplane was created. This plane was called the Icare and it successfully made the flight over Germany.

The wings and tail surfaces of this plane were covered in 3,000 super-efficient solar cells. These cells covered an area of 21 m2.

The team of the U.S. Department of Energy and a industry consortium also began to operate Solar Two. Solar Two was an upgrade of the solar power tower project, Solar One.

Solar Two was intended to prove that solar energy could be stored efficiently and economically. It also showed that power could be generated while the sun was not up.

This demonstration caused a surge of interest in solar power towers. Solar Two operated until 1999.

Two years later the “Pathfinder” achieved an altitude of 80,000 feet on its 39th consecutive flight on August 6th. The Pathfinder was a remote-controlled, solar-powered aircraft.

This was the record altitude for any prop-driven aircraft at the time. This flight took place in Monrovia, California.

The same year, Subhendu Guha, the scientist known for his discoveries concerning amorphous silicon, developed flexible solar shingles with the help of a team. These flexible shingles were used for roofing and are considered to be state-of-the-art technology.

By 1999, 4 Times Square, the tallest skyscraper built in the 1900s, was completed. This skyscraper was located in New York City and is considered an energy-efficient building in comparison to the other skyscrapers existing at the time.

This building partly depended on solar-power. Photovoltaic panels (BIPV) are located on the 37th and 43rd floors of the south and west sides of the building.

Later that year Spectorlab, Inc. and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed the photovoltaic solar cell that can convert 32.3 percent of gathered sunlight into electricity.

This was the highest conversion rate yet to be achieved. This success was accomplished through the combination of three layers of photovoltaic materials into one solar cell.

This cell had optimal performance when the sunlight was concentrated at 50 times normal. As a result, the cell must be mounted into a construction that concentrates the sunlight through the use of lenses cialis prescription online and mirrors.

In turn, these constructions are put on tracking systems that keep the construction pointed at the sun. This year, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory achieved a new efficiency record of thin-film photovoltaic solar cells.

The new efficiency record was 18.8 Kamagra Gold percent efficiency. This record was an increase of more than one percent.

In addition, the total installed photovoltaic capacity worldwide only reached 1000 megawatts. Later this year, First Solar began to produce solar panels in Perrysburg, Ohio.

First Solar was the world’s largest photovoltaic manufacturing plant. It is believed that First Solar produced enough solar panels per year to generate 100 megawatts of power.

In the year 2000, the International Space Station astronauts began to install solar panels on the space station. By the completion of the project, there will be 32,800 solar cells on each wing of the station.

When the project is completed, this will be the largest collection of solar power in space. Sandia National Laboratories develops a new inverter for solar electric systems that are more equipped to prevent damage to the solar power systems during a power outage.

Inverters convert the direct current (DC) electrical output from the solar systems into alternating current (AC). Alternating current is the current used in typical houses and the power lines supplying homes.

The development of solar power throughout the years has created an ideal solution to other environmentally damaging ways of producing power. As solar power continues to be developed, it will help create a cleaner world.

Author Bio: Terry Daniels has been working with alternative energy solutions for the past 10 year. He has written hundreds of articles dealing with solar power and alternative energy solutions. He recommends sharp solar panels for sale.

Contact Info:
Terry Daniels
TerryDaniels09@gmail.com
http://www.simpleray.com

Category: prescription cialis online Technology
Keywords: sharp solar panels for sale