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"   America&amp;#039;s academic institutions are breeding grounds for innovation. Columbia University, the University of California at Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have each garnered their fair share of Nobel Prizes in chemistry and physics, and contributed to the advancement of science and technology along the way. PM reported on one of those advancements from MIT in 1957 with a cover story on the university&amp;#039;s solar house project.   Unlike modern photovoltaic solar cells, the cells on the MIT house were not designed to generate electricity. The panels &amp;quot;collect heat from the sun, store it in the cellar and use it in measured quantities to keep the house warm and comfortable in winter,&amp;quot; PM wrote in the October issue. The house was the third test bed designed by a group of engineers known as the Space Heating Committee of the Solar Energy Conversion Project, which was founded in 1938.   The solar heat collector measured 16 by 40 feet, and was made up of a series of 2.5 by 16 foot insulated cells. The glass-covered cells were lined with a sheet of black aluminum, which was fitted with water tubes for collecting the heat. Water was pumped through the cell pipping and warmed to about 150 degrees, then returned to a storage tank in the cellar, where it was pumped through a heat exchanger to warm the home&amp;#039;s air. Whirling fans drove the heat through the house. An auxiliary furnace in the basement was a backup in case the sun&amp;#039;s rays could not suppy the panels with heat.   These days, heat transfer is being further explored as a method of generating energy, and not just for homes: Scientists in Alaska are examining geothermal applications. MIT, meanwhile, is still in the business of innovation, and you can keep up to date with our five-part series during MIT Week at PopularMechanics.com. -Emily Masamitsu   RELATED STORIES \u2022 MIT WEEK: New Research From Cambridge in 5 Fields  \u2022 TIME MACHINE: Weekly Cover Updates on Today&amp;#039;s News  \u2022 PLUS: Browse More Classic PM Covers!   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a2641/4252207/>