The ancient Greeks built their homes with large, south facing windows to collect more of the winter sun's heat and light. Dark stone floors and thick masonry absorbed the heat of the sun during the day and slowly released this warmth at night when it became cooler. Well-designed overhangs would allow the sun in to heat the homes in the winter but shade out the sun in summer. As their experience grew, the Greeks even applied these principles to high-density housing and built several solar cities including Olynthus and Priene.²⁴

In ancient Colorado, the Mesa Verde people built their homes under an overhanging cliff so that during winter, when the sun is low in the sky, sunlight could enter the structure and heat it directly, but during the summer when the sun is high in the sky, the cliff shields the settlement from the harshness of the sun, keeping it relatively cool.²⁵ This kind of design is still in use today, but with our better windows and insulation, it’s even more effective.

The History of Renewable Energy Use

Fossil Fuels – A Short Blip in History