Los Banos Rotary Club History
Rotarians See Solar Demonstration

Declaring that man's greatest ambition is to accomplish the impossible, Edward Keen, of San Francisco, Tuesday noon demonstrated to members of the local Rotary Club just how close the Bell Telephone has come to realization of that goal, as he demonstrated a new source of electrical energy that takes its energy from the sun and transfers it into electricity.
Using a small solar battery and a flood lamp instead of the sun's rays, Keen demonstrated this new source of power to activate several small electric motors, telephone circuits, radio and loudspeakers.

The small solar battery used in the demonstration was a small pocket size square of clear plastic in which were embedded small discs of silicone, a product derived from common sand. The experimental battery, built by hand cost some $400, but could be duplicated for possibly $125 today. Placed under the sun's rays, it generates four volts of electricity, comparing to that of half-dozen regular flashlight batteries.

Without going into the technical details of this new source of power, Keen pointed out that with the earth's dwindling supplies of present day power, this new source may within the life span of present Rotarians, become almost commonplace and will someday undoubtedly replace all present sources of energy.

As to its present development, Keen said the telephone company has completely equipped on small community in the east with solar-powered batteries, in which a few minutes a day of sun-generated storage is sufficient to operate the storage batteries for more than a week of normal operation.
Keen stated the solar battery does not deteriorate and unless broken or otherwise damaged would last forever.

Stopping any immediate imagination that the day of solar power is already here, Keen said the energy developed by today's batteries, and potential capacity of present storage units, is so small that several acres of the plastic discs would be necessary to derive any substantial horsepower. And at $125 for a section 4x6", the installation over a one acre area is still quite prohibitive.
At the Rotary club the speaker was introduced by Leonard Clover, manager of the Pacific Telephone Co's. Los Banos district.

Rotary President O. R. Zentner reminded the club members of the special Rotary program next Tuesday noon, when a speaker from the State Bureau of School Planning and local high school trustees will discuss local high school planning.

August 24, 1956

---