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UK 'could learn from Romans' about green houses
09/11/10
Edited by Bob Witham.What, to paraphrase the People's Front of Judea, did the Romans ever do for us? Well, when it comes to designing green houses, quite a lot, actually.
Indeed, according to a new study by sustainable living expert Dick Strawbridge and Professor Andrew Wilson of Oxford University's Institute of Archaeology for E.ON, an imperial villa from 2,000 years ago could actually outperform the typical 30s-built semi in terms of energy efficiency.
Professor Wilson said the Romans were "much more imaginative" with their use of heat and water than many 20th century house builders.
While the average suburban semi has wall-mounted radiators positioned under windows, where warmth can escape, our one-time conquerors used underfloor heating systems that gently raised the temperature in a whole room.
"Interestingly, underfloor heating has been making a comeback in recent years, 2,000 years after it was last used extensively in Britain," the study said.
It added that Romans also kept water hot using the same air that went into their underfloor furnace, yet the most common type of British home has a "multitasking heating system" that shuts away the water tank where it cannot heat the rest of the building.
In an interview with City AM last month, Andrew Dunning of APD Interiors said underfloor heating is a "great choice" to keep a whole house warm.
