Solar Energy in Anciant Rome

The use of solar energy in ancient Rome really evolved because wood consumption was even more voracious than in Greece. The demand for wood came from industry, houses, ships, heat for the public baths and for private villas.

By the first century it was common for rich Romans to have central heat in their large villas by a hypocaust system that burned wood or coal in furnaces. The system circulated hot air through hollow bricks in the floors and walls of the house.

A hypocaust system could consume as much as 280 pounds of wood per hour or more than two cords per day. .

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[graphic of hypocaust].

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It was not long before native wood completely disappeared from the Italian peninsula. The mountains near Rome were heavily forested but by the first century the wood was gone and had to be imported from as far east as the Caucasus - more than a thousand miles away.

The wood fuel shortages and high cost of imported wood likely caused the Romans to adopt Greek techniques of solar architecture. The Romans advanced the Greek techniques in the following ways: they invented and used clear glass as window covering to enhance solar heating; they expanded the use of solar design to include greenhouses for growing plants and public bathhouses; created sun-rights guarantees that were enacted into Roman Justinian Law. .

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[graphic].

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The Romans adjusted solar design according to the climate and region were structures were built.

In North Africa it was desirable to avoid solar heat so Roman architect, Vitruvius, recommended that buildings should be open to the north - facing away from the sun. Buildings built further north on the Italian peninsula should be shut in protected from the north with the main part of the building facing the sun to the south.

Vitruvius advocated winter and summer and winter dining rooms. Winter dining rooms facing the west, toward the sunset to take advantage of the sun's warmth. The summer dining rooms were recommended to face north because it's much cooler.

Colored glass had been used for centuries but it was not until the first century in Rome that people used glass to let in light and keep out the elements. .

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[graphic].

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