Reclaiming Ancient Technology for Green Homes

 Some of the elements of a green home are actually passively green. What this means is that the elements that make your home green and use sustainable energy, like rooms with many sealed windows that utilize the natural light, and homes built on lots that have plenty of shade trees, or even water collection systems where the collected rainwater is used to flush toilets, are all examples of passive green elements. These concepts are not new- in fact, humans have been utilizing the sun, the wind, and the rain to make their homes and lives better ever since time began, and even more so since humanity began to settle into villages and towns. Today’s passive green technology utilizes all the same natural elements, but is more targeted for our use, and these systems are, of course, more sophisticated. Passive energy use, which requires no energy to run, is the reason homes built for sustainability and environmental conservations are situated on lots in the manner they are; you can’t utilize the shade of the trees for wind and noise blockage on one side of the house if it’s located in the clearing. You can’t collect solar energy if the solar panels are constantly in the shade. Sealed windows, sloped roofs that allow collection of rainwater into tanks for use in landscaping or flushing toilets, and other uses are all examples of modern additions to ancient technology. It’s great to see the old knowledge reclaimed and used in modern ways to preserve the environment for future generations, and is definitely a solution for green living.