Solar energy has been around for thousands of years, dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans who used mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight for heating and lighting. However, it was not until the 19th century that solar technology began to develop and become more practical for everyday use.
The first practical application of solar energy was the solar water heater, which was invented in 1891 by Clarence Kemp, an American inventor. This invention used the sun’s energy to heat water, and it quickly gained popularity in sunny regions of the world.
In the United Kingdom, the use of solar energy began to gain traction in the 1950s and 60s, when several experimental solar installations were built. One of the earliest was the solar hot water system installed at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London in 1961. This system used flat-plate solar collectors to heat water for use in the building’s toilets and kitchen.
In the 1970s, the oil crisis led to increased interest in renewable energy sources, including solar energy. The UK government introduced subsidies for solar water heaters and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, which led to a growth in the number of installations. In 1978, the first grid-connected PV system was installed in the UK at the University of Surrey. This system had a capacity of just 7 kW, but it marked the beginning of a new era in solar energy.
Throughout the 1980s and 90s, solar energy continued to grow in popularity, with more and more homes and businesses installing solar panels. However, the high cost of solar panels and low efficiency of early PV technology meant that solar energy remained a niche technology for most of this time.
It was not until the early 2000s that solar energy began to become a more mainstream technology. Advances in PV technology led to higher efficiencies and lower costs, making solar energy more affordable for homeowners and businesses. Government incentives, such as the Feed-in Tariff, also helped to drive growth in the solar industry.
Today, solar energy is one of the fastest-growing energy sources in the UK. According to the Solar Trade Association, there are over 1 million solar PV installations in the UK, with a total capacity of over 13 GW. Solar energy is now an affordable and reliable source of clean energy, with many homes and businesses choosing to install solar panels to reduce their carbon footprint and save money on energy bills.
In conclusion, solar energy has been around for thousands of years, but it was not until the 19th century that it began to develop into a practical technology. In the UK, solar energy has been growing in popularity since the 1950s, but it was not until the early 2000s that it became a mainstream technology. Today, solar energy is an affordable and reliable source of clean energy, and it is set to play an increasingly important role in the UK’s energy mix in the coming years.
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