| THE SEPTEMBER 2006 ISSUE OF SCIENTIFIC | | | | applications'. His circuit is a million |
| AMERICAN was dedicated to exploring the | | | | miles from rocket-science - in fact it's |
| future of energy beyond the carbon era. | | | | the simplest of the bunch in this |
| The editors share a sobering outlook: | | | | edition of a magazine that was pitched |
| 'Decades may pass before | | | | at everyone between novice constructor |
| hydrogen-powered trucks and cars | | | | and electronics professional. |
| relegate gasoline-and diesel-fueled | | | | Someone with barely any experience could |
| vehicles to antique auto shows.' Until | | | | have thrown a demonstration version of |
| that happens, we'll 'muddle-through' | | | | this circuit together in fifteen minutes |
| somehow. (Scientific American: 3) | | | | flat. And all the parts were available |
| But why does it take so long for some | | | | from specialist suppliers in London and |
| energy technologies to get from the lab | | | | south-east England. |
| and industrial applications to the | | | | The listed supplier for 'assorted |
| service of consumers? Take solar panels, | | | | selenium and silicon cells' is |
| for example. | | | | International Rectifier. I contacted the |
| A high-street electronics chain in | | | | company to find out how much a similar |
| London now sells educational solar-power | | | | solar-cell cost at the time Bollen wrote |
| kits for around the £20 mark. | | | | his feature. |
| Serious, roof-dwelling solar panels that | | | | A single cell measuring about a |
| will power equipment in your home sell | | | | centimetre by two centimetres cost four |
| in DIY superstores at around | | | | dollars, right up to 1966. In his |
| £2,500. That's a price-tag for the | | | | feature, Bollen describes various |
| wealthy or very committed, but at least | | | | combinations between one cell and four, |
| consumers can push their trolleys past | | | | so the most expensive part of his |
| the technology | | | | circuit cost between four and 16 |
| SOLAR PANELS HAVE ONLY RECENTLY APPEARED | | | | dollars, or about $25-100 dollars in |
| on the shelves of retail outlets, so | | | | today's money. |
| you'd forgive them for posing as new | | | | World's first solar-powered car: 1912 |
| technology. But they're not. While | | | | But what came back from International |
| England was priming itself for what was | | | | Rectifier (IR) proved far more |
| to become its most famous World Cup, a | | | | interesting than price information. It |
| contributor to the July 1966 edition of | | | | turns out that the company had |
| Wireless World faced a copy deadline for | | | | demonstrated the world's first |
| the magazine. His name was D. Bollen, | | | | solar-powered car - a 1912 model of the |
| and he provided a circuit for a | | | | Baker Electric - as early as 1958. They |
| solar-powered battery charger. | | | | achieved the stunt by making a |
| As he put it: 'The ability of solar | | | | high-output solar panel - less than two |
| cells to convert sunlight directly into | | | | metres long and just over a metre wide - |
| useful electrical energy has been well | | | | from a whole bank of little solar cells. |
| demonstrated in satellite applications. | | | | Commercial, industrial and military |
| An advantage of the solar battery is | | | | customers went on to buy solar panels |
| that is allows true, unattended | | | | from International Rectifier. |
| operation in locations remote from a | | | | SO WHY HAS IT TAKEN ALMOST FIFTY YEARS |
| power supply and...promises an | | | | for solar panels to reach our shops? |
| outstanding degree of reliability.' | | | | Southface, a non-profit, |
| (Wireless World: 343) | | | | sustainable-living organisation based in |
| Over four meticulously-illustrated | | | | the USA, point out that solar-cell |
| pages, Bollen goes on to provide a | | | | technology has had been uselessly |
| blueprint for a circuit that will | | | | competing against the relative fall in |
| trickle-charge a battery from a solar | | | | price that occurred in the fossil-fuel |
| cell. Bollen shows that you can run | | | | market in the nineties. |
| something that uses one milliamp of | | | | But Southface believe that major orders |
| current for '2.74 hours' in a 24 hour | | | | of consumer solar cell units in |
| period. He leaves us guessing what | | | | countries such as Japan may finally |
| application he had in mind for this tiny | | | | signal the start of an era when solar |
| current, but the rig could also have | | | | cell production will benefit from |
| powered the bulb of a toy torch for a | | | | economies of scale. |
| few seconds a day. | | | | I hope so. In the meantime, it's |
| Still, the circuit is there and the date | | | | anyone's guess how long will it take for |
| is mid-1966. Don't be distracted by | | | | the consumer-led technology revolution |
| Bollen's talk of 'satellite | | | | to swat our energy problems. |