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The 2005 Solar World Congress, to be held in Orlando, Florida, August 6-12, 2005, seeks contributors for a special topical section focusing on "The History of Solar Energy and the International Solar Energy Society." Co-sponsors of this topical section include the Society for the History of Technology and the International Committee for the History of Technology.
In 1955, AFASE, The Association for Applied Solar Energy, from which ISES had its origin, organized the first AFASE/ISES Symposium on Applied Solar Energy in Arizona. Since then, an international scientific network for solar energy existed.
After 50 years, ISES proposes the History Session on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary to review the use of solar energy in all its renewable forms (direct solar energy, biomass, wind and water power) in the past in order to understand its role for the future.
In the following, we suggest topics for which we would welcome abstracts. In every section, papers on the material culture of solar energy (solar machines and the pioneers that are intertwined with them) or the events that constructed the fascination of solar energy are especially welcome, as well as papers by First Person Witnesses.
We also encourage submission of abstracts (instructions at end) related to solar energy that are not spelled out in this call for papers. There are no restrictions in terms of academic disciplines. The decisive criterion is the likelihood that the papers can make a meaningful contribution to telling stories that have not been told or taking generally known stories and interpreting them in a new way.
TOPIC 1: Intellectual history of solar energy
Solar in myths and religions in different regions of the world
Conceptual ideas of solar energy in ancient science
Modern concepts of solar energy
Specific topics might include:
Role of Sun in mythology and religion
Significance of sun worship in different cultures
Ancient observatories
Astronomy related to ancient civilizations
Sun myths
Ancient tribal and folklore related to the Sun
Modern conceptions of solar energy in the context of the thermodynamic laws
Popular perception of solar energy in the industrialized world (e.g. solar energy in science fiction, visions of energy policy).
TOPIC 2: Solar technologies from ancient civilizations to the industrial revolution
Specific topics might include:
Solar architecture
Active solar energy like solar mirrors, wind mills or water power
Forestry and agriculture
TOPIC 3: Solar technologies in the 19th and early 20th century
Solar energy and its meaning in the context of imperial and/or self sufficiency policies
Lost in the desert: the failure of colonial dreams about solar energy
Specific topics might include:
Discourse about energy policy, highlighting the meaning of solar energy, in the context of imperial and/or self sufficiency policies
Political efforts to support the development of solar energy technology
Early efforts to develop solar energy technology and the reason for their failure
TOPIC 4: Politics and policy drivers in solar energy research and use at national and international levels
National government policies and programs
International institutions (United Nations, World Bank, Regional Development Banks, European Union and other regional Institutions) or non-profit organizations
Specific topics might include:
Which actors pushed the political support for solar energy?
What kind of energy policy concepts and what kind of supporting measures for solar energy were implemented in the different periods?
What arguments or interests were mobilized against renewable energy?
What effects did the national and the international activities have? What limitations did exist for these programs and events?
TOPIC 5: Solar energy, its market introduction and the established science and technology
Market introduction
Integration of solar energy technologies in natural and built environment
Research problems in the context of market introduction and integration
Specific topics might include:
Barriers or success factors in the process of market introduction and integration
The meaning of solar energy in the established scientific and technological community.
Research problems in the process of market introduction
The development of an international scientific and technological network for solar energy
TOPIC 6: Information about solar energy/Records and archives about solar energy
Specific topics might include:
Solar energy records in established archives
Bibliographic work
New approaches in opening up and connecting information about the history of solar energy
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
The abstract/paper must represent original work. Acceptance of papers for presentation will be based on extended abstracts. All full papers will be peer-reviewed.
Please submit title and abstracts of your presentation and clearly identify on the top of your paper and in the subject of your email:
"to be presented at the History Sessions – topic as identified in the instructions for authors"
Abstracts submission and selection
All submitted abstracts will be reviewed for an oral presentation at ISES 2005.
Abstracts should be submitted on-line at www.swc2005.org. Instructions for authors and on how to submit on-line will be posted September 1, 2004.
IMPORTANT DATES
Deadline for submission of abstracts: November 15, 2004
Notification of acceptance: January 1, 2005
If you have any questions, suggestions for speakers, sessions or other activities at the 2005 Solar World Congress, please email to csilvi@indra.com or renateboer@aol.com . We welcome your suggestions on this international solar energy history event.
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