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seas and oceans where water is heated, evaporates and falls in the form of rains
«feeding» hydroelectric power stations. Wind needed to the turbines appears as a re-
sult of irregular air heating. Another kind of renewable sources of energy provided
due to the solar energy is biomass. Green plants absorb the sunlight, then as a result
of photosynthesis the organic substances are formed which afterwards can be used to
get heat and electric power. Thus, wind, water and biomass energy are the result of
solar energy.
Since the mankind appeared on the Earth a man began to use solar energy. Ac-
cording to the archeological data it’s known that the quiet protected from the cold
wind and open for solar rays places were preferred for living. The sun was wor-
shipped practically by every nation and myths were created about it. Solar eclipses
understandable for us were perceived by ancient people as a catastrophe.
What is the wood? It’s that very solar energy accumulated with the help of the
photosynthesis. What are gas, coal and oil? They are also the result of the Sun activity.
The wind was less worshipped but it also has personifications in the form of
gods and spirits in different cultures, especially in pagan ones. Since early times the
wind was caught by the sails to travel by seas and rivers. Thousands of wind mills
worked grinding grains into meal just till the beginning of the 20
th
century.
As it can be seen, such natural and really invaluable sources of energy as solar
radiation and wind energy were always near a man, people tried to use them, to sub-
due the elements. Since ancient times the space of the place of living was organized
taking into account the Sun orientation. What we now call energy-efficient building
methods is none other than a try of a rational usage and conservation of heat given us
by the Sun in our buildings.
Even in the beginning of the last century a man succeeded in using these
sources of energy. At the turn of the 19
th
and 20
th
centuries people tried to create dif-
ferent technical devices of subduing and using the energy of the Sun and the wind.
But for the last 100 years despite intensive development of technology these two en-
ergy carriers having served a man faithfully have been unfairly forgotten. As a result
nowadays we face the threat of energy crisis. An ecological catastrophe is about to
happen. And only for the last two decades an interest to usage of the Sun and wind
energy began to grow again.
In more than 70 countries of the world solar power engineering programmes
have been developed and are in action nowadays. So in Germany the project «A
thousand of roofs» was introduced; according to this project 2250 houses were
equipped with photovoltaic units. The USA adopted the programme «A million of
sunny roofs». Nowadays over a million solar water heaters are being operated. «So-
lar houses» are widely spreading. The methods of controlling the systems have been
developed.