The earliest methods of heating water using solar energy were, not surprisingly, tubs placed in direct sunlight during the day. In the late morning, the water would begin to heat and provide hot water into the late afternoon. Naturally, the water quickly cooled with the sun’s setting. People primarily used cook stoves to heat water. The stoves were fueled by wood, coal or gas manufactured from coal until the turn of the century when modern technology started to come into play.

Solar hot water systems, taking advantage of the sun’s free energy as opposed to expensive, imported, and inconvenient fossil fuels, became extremely popular in the early 1900’s. This was particularly true in regions like California and Florida. It was the beginning of a popular pattern, in the US especially, of solar supply-and-demand based on the increase or decrease in fossil fuels costs.

In the United States, solar hot water systems became less and less common in the 1920’s and ‘30’s. Technology such as thermostat-controlled gas and electric water heating systems and inexpensive natural resources became the norm. When the end of World War II brought decreased electric rates and forceful corporate power companies with big marketing budgets, the solar industry nearly became a thing of the past all together.

Once again, in the 1980’s, the cost of energy drove Americans to search for a dependable and less-expensive solution. Solar shone once again as government incentives and public support rallied early in the decade. By some estimates, a solar photovoltaic system was installed at a rate of 1 a day in 1985. Many of those systems are still in working order nearly 25 years later. But by the next year, the industry all but collapsed as fuel prices declined and government support and tax incentives disappeared.

Now, nearly a decade into the 21st century, the world is turning once again to solar as an integral part of a sustainable, clean energy solution. Some experts believe that in decentralizing the energy crisis—that is, putting control in the consumer’s hands as well as the government’s—is key to solving our energy demands. One way Maryland residents are choosing to do this is by making changes slowly, such as replacing their electric water heater with a solar water heating system. According to the Maryland Energy Administration, the response to their Solar Energy Grant program in 2008 has been staggering: over 200 Maryland residents applied for the purpose of installing a solar hot water system. The outlook for 2009 is equally promising—many people are lining up their solar installations for the re-opening of the MEA’s grant program in July of ’09.