Solar Housing Is The Way Of The Future... Or Maybe Not
- Date Range
- July 1, 1945 – July 1, 1955
- Title
- Solar Housing Is The Way Of The Future... Or Maybe Not
- What occurred
- For the first time in about ten years, America was finally booming again. The world wars combined with the great depression left many dead, cold, starving and sick. The post war market economy brought money and jobs back to Americans. For once, people had more money than they needed and they had a large urge to spend it. During this boom, fossil fuel usage and the potential for solar housing became a minuscule discussion. For ten years, prestigious Universities funneled research into solar housing. This new method of heating was going to change the world. Scientists at this time didn't even have a grasp on photovoltaic effects; this increased solar research was solely led by heating purposes. Scientists like Maria Telkes who conducted research at MIT led this field for its short run until it died in the mid 1950's. Big businesses had a different plan for the future which did not include solar housing. They wanted cheap housing produced on a large scale so that they would generate more profits. Their actions combined with essentially no government funding created a mechanism bound to fail. After 1955, solar energy would not receive serious research for another twenty-five years.
- Location
- 80 Dedham St, Dover, MA 02030
- Image Citation
- [1] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1940s-solar-house-powered-innovation-and-women-stem-180967515/ [2] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Maria-Telkes [3] Rome, Bulldozer in the Countryside, Ch. 2
- Student name(s)
- Jackson Selent