Solar Pioneer's Forgotten Invention

Four decades ago, Harold Hay invented a way to heat and cool a home without using electricy. Why won't the world listen?

1 minute read

November 12, 2007, 8:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech

"Forty years ago, Hay invented a simple, inexpensive way to heat and cool a home using the sun's rays, but without the panels and wiring that come with conventional solar energy systems...Yet, despite the merits of his pioneering technology, the energy establishment has shown only fleeting interest."

"It's tempting to write off Hay as a bitter solar has-been, hoping for immortality at the end of his life. But, given today's energy and climate challenges, ignoring his message and achievements could be a mistake."

"Hay calls his invention the Skytherm system, and it was a wonder in the 1960s because it used the sun to heat and cool a home. The earliest version operated without any electricity, making it a purely passive solar technology...Hay's Skytherm house was recognized by the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission as one of the country's 200 most promising inventions."

FULL STORY: His passion for solar still burns

Sunday, November 11, 2007 in The Los Angeles Times

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