Cheap, Abundant Energy, Forever Again?

The History of Wind and Solar

Contents

1.       Introduction

2.       Why Wind Power is Back

3.       Why Solar Power Is Back

4.       Concluding Remarks

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Bitesize Edition

• After a small break covering some other topics such as fearmongering and a flashback to China’s economic narrative in 2023, I’m back to discussing the future of our necessities.

• Today, I’m going to begin what I imagine will be a large section of my work: Renewable Energy. Before diving into the characteristics, a quick whistle-stop tour on the history of wind and solar.

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Introduction

Using the sun and wind as energy sources has existed in many forms for centuries.

Windmills are known to have been developed in the 9th century but could have existed prior to this date. Using the wind to generate kinetic energy has been done in sailboats for millennia.

We’ve also seen the sun utilized to light fires for millennia, and then torches and in Roman bathhouses as a provider of heat.

Photo by Briana Tozour on Unsplash

These historical examples highlight that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted: The Law of the Conservation of Energy.

Today, we’re looking to transfer this energy into electrical energy through wind turbines and solar panels. How did we get to this period of dramatic innovation in the energy production sector? Let’s explore the history.