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Solar panels are on our homes, businesses and potentially, someday, in our roads (and more). Exploding in popularity in recent years, the power alternative has proven successful for the modern age. But what about in past ages? The sun has been around a long time, but for what use has it been to our ancestors?

Death rays

As the story goes, Archimedes leveraged the sun's power through a mirror-like object to set fire against an attacking army in 212 B.C. While the historical accuracy of this famous account is dubious at best, there still is no doubt that a beam of the sun's light coming at you at over 230 degrees Fahrenheit had to be extremely uncomfortable and probably made the Romans turn around, fire or no fire.

Photo credit: unmuseum.org

Sixth century A.D. spas

With the cost and effort that comes with burning wood for heat, the Greeks and the Romans began to look at the sun as more of a resource and wondered how to better harness its warmth. Thus, they started building their bath houses and homes with massive south-facing windows that would allow as much warmth in, while the northern side would usually be protected from the winds. Sunrooms became so popular that the Justinian code adopted specific "sun rights" for people, so that all would have equal access to the sun.

The Hagia Sophia, traditional Byzantine architecture. Photo credit: historybyzim.com

Four Corners Anasazi cliff house heaters

Interestingly enough, the home design efforts of the Greeks and Romans could also be seen with the Anasazi Indians native to Utah's Four Corners area from about 1,100 to 1,300 A.D. Ever wonder what benefits their famous cliff dwellings brought?

It appears that solar is a major reason. In fact, 11 of their major buildings are perfectly oriented to the sun and moon's rotation, thus ensuring maximum benefits reaped from the sun's rays while the sun shines.

Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org | User photo: Lorax

Centuries of research

Solar was heavily researched, poked, prodded and thought about all through the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Even Albert Einstein tried to crack the key of discovering how to best capture the sun's energy for which he was given a Nobel Prize in 1921. When solar cells started being developed, they were wildly inefficient — capturing less than one percent of the sun's energy. Now, solar cells capture well over 32 percent.

Einstein and other candidates for Nobel Prize, 1921. Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

Solar and the world today

Having come a long way from Archimedes' death rays, and the Romans' bath house warmers, solar experts would be the first to tell you that solar has become an efficient, affordable and attractive energy alternative for most homeowners and businesses.

While personal setups are a popular home addition (and value increasing), now it's possible for communities to hope to have something like that of which can be found in Ivanpah Dry Lake, Calif. Activated in 2014, the Ivanpah Solar Project is now the largest solar thermal power system in the world.

Ivanpah solar initiative. Photo credit: energy.ca.gov

With acres — miles even — of public desert ground covered in solar cells, this project will offer full power to more than 140,000 homes while reducing carbon emissions the equivalent of taking more than 70,000 cars off the road. These statistics, along with the job creations that accompany moves like this, make these solar projects highly beneficial for the community and environment.

Solar in Utah today

Utah made history this week in solar world. Last week was a flip-switching ceremony for Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. Auric Solar, Utah's largest solar provider, installed almost 6,500 solar panels to make the stadium itself the largest solar project in Utah (a 2,020 kilowatt system). The system is expected to offset 73 percent of total annual power needs for the stadium, the largest in North American professional sports.

For more information on solar and if it makes sense for you, visit Auricsolar.com

Photo credit: Rio Tinto

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