Page 57 - ISES SWC50

1965
• Peter Glaser conceived the idea of the satellite solar power station.

1966
• NASA launches the first Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, powered by a 1-kilowatt photovoltaic
array, to provide astronomical data in the ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths filtered out by the earth’s
atmosphere.
• Sharp Corporation installed a 225 watt, photovoltaic array on a lighthouse on Ogami Island, in Japan
the world’s largest array at that time.

1967
• Russian Soyuz 1 became the first manned spacecraft to be powered by solar cells.
• Akira Fujishima discovered the Honda-Fujishima effect which is used for hydrolysis in the
photoelectrochemical cell.
• The Azur Satellite used AEG solar cells.
• Wolfgang Platz became manager of the PV Programme at the French National Space Agency (CNES).

1968
• Robert Riehl introduced the solar-powered wristwatch.
• The OVI-13 satellite with two CdS panels was launched.
• Dundee University work in PV related areas started under Professor Walter Spear (Harris Chair of
Physics) and co-worker Peter LeComber.
• Dr Elliot Berman commences to pursue his research on developing solar cells.

1969
• Roger Little established Spire Corporation, which became and still is an important producer of solar
cells production equipment.
• Dr Elliot Berman joined the Exxon laboratory in Linden New Jersey to pursue his research on developing
solar cells.

Dates Unknown
• Photon Power in El Paso Texas worked on cadmium sulphide cells.
• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) (Belgium) researched PV under Roger van Overstraeten.

6.4 Solar Thermal1960-1969

1963
• Czarnecki at CSIRO Melbourne tested the performance of an inflated polyvinyl chloride pool cover as a
means of heat outdoor swimming pools.

1965
• Solar water heater test centre set up at the University of NSW, Australia by Charles Sapsford. The Centre
was later used by Graham Morrison to develop testing procedures that became the basis of many Australian
and International Standards and the TRNAUS extension to TRNSYS that covers Thermosyphon water
heaters.

1966.
• World’s largest solar still built at Coober Pedy Australia, to convert saline bore water to fresh water for the
town’s residents. The still was based on a prototype which the CSIRO Division of Mechanical Engineering
had been operating successfully at Muresk Agricultural College in Western Australia since 1964, under the
guidance of Wal Read.

Late 1960s
• Solar thermal research group at University of Melbourne set up By Bill Charters and Bob McDonald.

6.5 Solar Architecture Buildings 1960-1969

1967
• Felix Trombe and Jacques Michel design and build a passive solar house in Odeillo, France.
ISES SWC50 - The Century of Solar-Stories and Visions | 39