A BRIEF HISTORY LESSON IN HOME HEATING
OUR HISTORY IN HEATING
Wood
Coal
Oil
Geothermal energy
Electricity
Solar power
Natural gas
The only form of
heat is the sun
BEGINNINGS OF TIME
First evidences
of fire
1000000 BCE
Fire used under
human control
400000 BCE
Fire used to heat
Neanderthal
buildings
42000 BCE
Neolithic settlements
used open hearths for
smoke ventilation in
present day Turkey
7500 – 5700 BCE
Braziers used in
Romania
3000 BCE
Under floor heating
used in present day
North Korea
1000 BCE
Greek and Romans use
under floor heating
500 BCE
First use of fireplace
chimneys
12th Century
Chimneys become common
and coal is introduced as fuel
16th Century
The Franklin stove is invented
and burns fuel far more efficiently
1741
Russia invents the radiator
1855 – 1857
The first electric heater is
invented by Thomas Edison
1883
The US uses its first
solar water heater
1896
Robert C. Webber builds
the first ground source heat
pump
Late 1940s
SolarWall is created –
inventing solar air
heating
1990
First ultra low energy
building built in Germany
1990
Micro-CHP systems
introduced to the market
Early 2000s
Solar Water
Heaters
Can lessen annual energy requirements by 50%
This could lower the average home’s annual CO2 emissions by 10%
Micro-CHP (combined
heat and power)
Can reduce anbual carbon emmisions by 20%
A single Micro-CHP manufacturer has already:
Produced 2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity
This is enough energy to power 454,000 homes