Feeling the Heat Article:
Home Heating – Old Ways and New Days
by Jerry H. Simpson
Home heating in its earliest form originated millions of years ago when early cavemen made fires to keep warm. These fires were actually brought inside the caves when there were holes to let the smoke out. Thus, the first ‘central heating’ was developed. According to historians, the Greeks, possibly as far back as 2500 B.C, invented central heating by way of a fireplace or hearth.
The first technological breakthrough in heating was by – whom else – the Romans. Theirs was the earliest know form of what today is called radiant heating. In those times it was known as a hypocaust system and was, like many other roman inventions, an ingenious, yet simple solution. It involved passing combustion gases underneath the floor from one end. These gases heated the floor as they passed underneath and exited out the cold side of the floor. Used in upper class Roman homes and baths it was true luxurious heating for the time.
When the industrial revolution came around and buildings got larger and larger the first forms of central heating were adapted and developed. Today, central heat is the standard method and is widely used throughout the world for home and commercial use.
Central Heating - Forced Air!
The most common way to do central heating in most residential areas is called forced air. Using a furnace with a blower or fan, hot air is pumped into rooms from a central mechanical area and distributed throughout ‘registers’ or ‘ducts’ in the floor. Far from the best way to heat your home, it is usually economics and tradition that dictate the use of forced air.
While it has ancient roots, radiant heat has only recently enjoyed a revival especially in the US. Often more adaptable to the discussion below, radiant is also more elegant and efficient.
As technology advances it is the source of heat that has been changing as much as the methods. Some of these sources include:
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Solar Heat is riding a wave of popularity
Solar – Simply defined as ‘using the energy of the sun to heat a structure’, solar has ridden a wave of popularity over the years. In the 1970’s many communities were built with solar to varying degrees of acceptance and adoption. In California it has been more accepted than most states, but today the advances in technology have allowed solar heat to have somewhat of a rebirth as people strive for ways to make their homes more energy efficient. There are two main types of solar heat, passive and active.
Active solar is just that, a system that actively seeks out and collects the energy from the sun. Without taking the architecture of the building into account, active systems use solar cells to make electricity, heated water as a few examples.
Passive solar heat refers to systems that do not supplement the use of any
other mechanical type of assistance (blowers, pumps etc…) and have several
main components.
Dwelling position – Most passive systems are set up so that the main collection
area runs from east to west, allowing for maximum exposure from the south.
Windows – Windows are also predominantly placed on the south side of the structure to allow for maximum solar gain in the wintertime. Size of windows is important – if the windows are to small not enough sun is allowed in, whereas if windows are to big to much heat can be gained (or lost at night)
Shade and landscape – Overhangs are used carefully on solar houses to shade in summer and still allow sun to get in during winter months when the sun is lower. Trees can also play a role – deciduous trees planted in the right places can shade in summer when they have leaves and allow sun through in winter when they are bare.
Geothermal – Under this method, energy is created from naturally occurring geological heat sources. A form of renewable energy, such sources can be from geysers and hot springs that produce steam or from heated ground water. The first electricity created from these sources was in Italy in the very early 1900’s. According to most estimates, today about 8,000 megawatts of electricity are produced by several countries with the US responsible for approx. 2700 megawatts. The country of Iceland gets almost 20% of its electricity from geothermal sources.
As homes continue to get built at a record pace, the heat system should be a major consideration as part of the overall HVAC package…. and it is this guys opinion that ‘green building’ and ‘energy efficiency’ are going to play a big role in the months and years to come. Stay tuned for more on this!
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About the Author : Jerry H. Simpson is a regular contributing writer to Feeling the Heat, a site about Solar Energy and Alternative Energy. While Jerry may not have a college degree, his passion about writing showcases his true talents and many interests. Among his favorite topics are conservation, alternative energy, radiant heating and fossil fuel alternatives. Jerry can be reached by email at Feeling the Heat.
