How France Pioneered Industrial Use of Solar Power

Up until now man still burn?wood?to satisfy his energy needs, this article tells a tale of how the French pioneered the industrial use of solar power.

As the industrial revolution beckons, the demand for energy increased as the number of machines in operation increased also.

Man started to utilize coal, in fact as of the year 1910 a greater percentage of man’s energy demand was met by coal.

As the years go by, man found something precious, that will drive the wheels of the industry, more efficiently in terms of cost, yes man found the Black Gold.

The use of fossil fuel started around 1859, the block gold was found to be sophisticated and with a more industrial application when compared with coal.

With time the internal combustion engine was developed, then, humans started developing all kinds of motor vehicles, cars, trucks, but the Wright brothers went further to develop something that has changed the entire travel industry-Airplane.

The Gift and the Curse

As years go by, humans wondered if fossil fuels are gifts or curses, although in recent times there has been a huge effort to develop cleaner oil and gas production and consumption technologies.

THE GIFT-?While fossil fuels drove the wheels of the industry and brought in advancement in technology and development (THE CURSE) however, due to the incomplete combustion associated with fossil fuels, they release a huge amount of carbon and its oxides, Nitrogen and its Oxides, Sulphur and its oxides and even particulate matter into the atmosphere to the detriment of man and his environment.

The use of fossil fuel brought other implications like we know gases such as hydrogen sulphide and Caborn (iv) oxide accelerates corrosion, In the year 1979, it was found that in Louvre, Paris the stonework suffered remarkably from the corrosive actions of the atmosphere, no thanks to fossil fuels.

DID YOU KNOW?

In Paris, it was estimated that corosion was eating away the masonry at rate of three millimeters (over 1/10inch) per year! (1979)

Nuclear Energy to the Rescue?

Back then, Nuclear Energy was discovered, if you want to learn more about nuclear energy, we have written an?overview of Nuclear Energy, it is a brief article, easy to read and comprehend you may check it out.

With time many persons abhorred the use of nuclear energy as a possible replacement for oil.

For many reasons, a major reason is the constant threat of radioactive contamination, they also reasoned that if nuclear power stations should become abundant then it would pose a serious threat to the aquatic lives, but how so?

Well, nuclear power stations consume a lot of water, this water is usually drawn from lakes, lagoons and other nearby water bodies, after using the water to produce steam used in turning turbines, the remaining hot water is returned to the water body from which it was drawn, this not only increases the chances of radioactive contamination but also increase the temperature of the water body.

An increase in temperature will lead to a decrease in oxygen level, this will kill the fish, there will also be an increase in the growth of algae, and yes, the growth of algae, consumes oxygen during decay!

This really made many persons turn down nuclear energy, not forgetting the untold fear nuclear power plant accidents created in the minds of many, years later.

Why Solar?

These facts discussed above concerning fossil fuels and nuclear energy made scientists and other researchers see the need for a pollution-free source of energy.

So what could be the solution? for one thing, wind and tide are there, there is also geothermal energy, but the wind is not that constant, nor tides and also geothermal energy is most abundant around tectonic plate boundaries.

So then, given the fact that the energy from the sun, although intermittent and diluted is generously covering and reaching the entire surface of the earth, the abundance of this form of energy explains why the french men took the lead in exploring it and applying it at industrial scale.

DID YOU KNOW?

Every square mile of land and sea recieves several million killowat-hours of solar energy daily

How the French Pioneered the Industrial use of Solar

Let us go back in time to 1774, French men learnt that it was possible to produce high temperatures from the sun by utilizing the power of the lens.

The solar furnace

English Chemist J. Priestley told French chemist Antonie Lavoiser during his trip to Paris of an experiment he conducted, in that experiment Priestly heated mercuric oxide by means of solar radiation concentrated by the powerful lens.

So, Lavioser did that experiment again and came up with a very nice conclusion that has impacted positively the general progress and development of science and technology.

Lavoisier did the experiment with atmospheric air and he then concluded that air is made up of two blends of distinct gases, “vital air” and “non-vital” air, your guess is right, yes Oxygen and Nitrogen respectively.

As years went by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique followed Lavoiser’s footsteps closely.

France set up its first solar furnace in the year 1946 at Meudon, Paris, this furnace operated at temperatures of 3,000 degrees Celcius

With time the Odeillo solar furnace became operational in 1970, after many years of research and effort.

The french men did not stop, they went further to revamp the furnace situated on the beautiful mountainous region of Louis, as at 1979 the furnace was yielding 3,800 degrees celsius.

Soon, various methods were also adopted in France and all over the world in harvesting and using solar energy

Such as the use of glass, which depends on the principle of the greenhouse to generate temperatures up to 100 degrees celsius, this can be used to boil water and heat up homes.

Did You know?

The Odeillo solar furnace, superimposes over 20,000 images on the focal point, as early as the time it became operational!

According to a publication from?Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: “In basic research solar furnaces constitute an exceptional means for carrying out experiments requiring between 1,000 and 3,800 degrees Celsius [approximately 1,800 to 6,800 degrees Fahrenheit] in conditions of extreme purity” The solar furnace became a valid means of melting factory oxides and other special metallic alloys.

Solar Power Station

It was a memorable day for the french environmentalists and solar enthusiasts as the first solar-thermodynamic power station supplied electricity to the national grid, on November 19, 1976.

Well, actually it was an experimental solar power plant, which raises the temperature of a fluid called gilotherm to 335 degrees celsius in a boiler placed on the focal point of the Odeillo complex. by means of specialized storage systems and three exchangers, this fluid supplies steam which is then used to propel a turbo-alternator to produce electricity.

The use of solar started spreading and its numerous advantages could be felt even in interior Latin American villages, as it made it possible to pump and supply fresh water in Latin America and Africa.

And that was it, solar has continued to develop even more and more, as numerous research has yielded fantastic results over the years.

Do you think that one day solar will replace fossil energy? Do you think solar energy is now efficient enough?

At this point, I will hand the keyboard over to you, kindly share your thoughts in the comment section below.