Roman Solar Ecosystem Design

A curious point is that solar heating would not have worked in the baths with unglazed openings. In the Roman baths, the solar heat assisted the hypocaust system of 'mechanical' heating. The technology of the hypocaust is fascinating.

The Romans are deserving of high praise for their use of solar energy, particularly in the design of their baths. Thatcher may have underestimated the Romans' capabilities in radiant heating, but their use of solar energy is still noteworthy according to modern standards and technology 2,000 years later.

The Greeks used many solar energy technologies that were adopted by the Romans. The Baths of Caracalla and the Forum Baths at Ostia will be used as examples of how the ancient Roman Empire used passive solar energy and radiant heating. The process of these techniques will also be analyzed.

In the Roman baths, the solar heat assisted the hypocaust system of 'mechanical' heating. The technology of the hypocaust is fascinating. The baths included boiling rooms with tanks where hot and warm water was produced by burning wood.

Romans were proficient in expanding upon and improving the ideas of others as seen in their use of Greek architecture techniques. The Greeks used many solar energy technologies that were adopted by the Romans.

The Romans probably turned to solar heat out of economic necessity---they were running out of wood, and prices rose steeply.