Three thousand years ago the Chinese discovered how to make concave reflectors to turn sunlight into fire. Facing structures to the winter sun became so popular in Roman times that sun-right laws were passed, making it a civil offense to block one’s access to the south.Ĭhapter 4: Burning Mirrors (1000 BC-1800) Transparent materials like mica or glass, the Romans discovered, acts as a solar heat trap, admitting sunlight into the desired space and holding in the heat so it accumulates inside. They also had their large windows covered with either transparent stone like mica or clear glass, a Roman invention of the 1st century ACE, one of the great breakthroughs in building and solar technology. From the times of the early empire onward, most faced the afternoon sun in wintertime when they had maximum use.
Baths were especially popular among the Romans but demanded a great amount of heat. From literature of the time it appears many followed Vitruvius’ instructions. When writing his great work On Architecture, he emphasized proper solar orientation for buildings and bath houses. Rome’s greatest architect Vitruvius saw solar houses while on duty as a military engineer in recently conquered Greece. Retrofits in Athens followed by whole cities such as Olynthus, Priene, Delos and many others, as well as rural dwellings, show that solar architecture became ubiquitous in Greece and its surroundings for centuries.Ĭhapter 3: Roman Solar Architecture (100 BC-500 AD) Archaeological digs have confirmed that the ancient Greek builders followed the advice of these sages. Aristotle also taught his students the value of designing houses to make maximum use of the winter sun and to keep the house in shade during the hotter months. Socrates was outspoken about the value of building with the sun in mind for the comfort of the occupants. Over the millennia Chinese cities followed such planning and still today the Chinese favor a south-facing home.Ĭhapter 2: Solar Architecture in Ancient Greece (500 BC-100 BC)
Knowledge gained from these studies stimulated Chinese urban planners to construct the main streets of towns to run east to west to allow every house to look to the south to catch the winter sun for supplementary heating. Two thousand years later the Chinese began to formally study the movement of the sun throughout the year in relationship to the earth. The overhanging thatched roof kept the high summer sun off the houses throughout the day so those inside would stay cool.
They did this to catch the rays of the low winter sun to help warm the interior. Six thousand years ago Neolithic Chinese villagers had the sole opening of their homes face south. John Perlin - 6000 Years of Solar Architecture and TechnologyĪuthor, Lecturer, Consultant - Solar Energy & Forest PreservationĬhapter 1: Solar Architecture in Ancient China (6000 BC -)
0 kommentar(er)
