With increasing public concern over environmental issues, the interest in renewable energies is catching everyone’s attention. Solar energy is continuing to develop as a feasible and commercial energy provision solution. We have an array of solar powered gadgets in the market shelves nowadays, but perhaps you don’t know that way back in 1935, solar energy was being used to provide energy to a refrigerator.
Developed by Otto H. Mohr, California consulting engineer, the refrigerator relied on no energy except the sunlight. It was exposed to sunlight for two hours a day. The inventor claimed that an entire home could be cooled or heated with large solar power panels that are exposed to sun for four hours daily.
There was a spherical lens that collected the sun rays and transferred the light into heat, which is then carried forth to the refrigerating liquid, generally ammonia. The cooling operation was very much similar to that of the normal gas refrigerators. It’s good to know that we have had eco values since long.
Via: ModernMechanix
