Vitruvius, a famous tragedy writer, said: "If we want our house designs to be correct, we must begin by taking good note of the countries and climates in which they are going to be built. One type of house seems appropriate for Egypt, another for Spain... another still different for Rome, and so on with lands and countries with different characteristics. "[1]​*. He went* further than the Greeks in detailing where to locate each room in a house to maximize comfort. For example, it recommended that winter dining rooms be oriented towards the southwest, taking advantage of the winter sun, while summer dining rooms should be facing north.

In the 2nd century, the Code of Justinian recognized the importance of access to the sun, noting that any object that blocked the light of a heliocaminus violated its right to the sun. However, the Roman urban structure did not guarantee solar access for everyone, and only the rich, with access to justice, could claim this right. Unlike democratic Greece, Rome favored class privileges, leaving humble homes without adequate solar orientation.

Another simpler example of early solar architecture is the caves in the southwestern regions of North America. Like Greek and Roman buildings, the cliffs on which the indigenous people of this region built their homes were oriented towards midday, casting a shadow from the midday sun during the summer months and capturing as much of the sun's energy during the winter as possible.

All knowledge related to solar architecture did not advance and fell into disuse during the so-called dark centuries. In the 2nd century, greenhouses, or horticultural solar collectors, were used again thanks to vernacular traditions and the rediscovered Roman treaties. Until then, its use had declined due to the lack of flat glass and ecclesiastical prohibitions that saw intervention in plant growth as interference in the divine plan. After the Reformation, the Dutch and Flemish, freed from the authority of the Catholic Church, began to apply solar orientation in their orchards and greenhouses.

In the 19th century, greenhouses became very popular in England. The craftsmen of the time understood its operation well, applying night insulation and ventilation to prevent overheating and adjusting the inclination of the glass to optimize solar collection. The greenhouse quickly became an expansion of the home.

The use of greenhouses expanded in the 19th century, initially as annexes to homes and then incorporated directly into the structure of the houses as stoves or conservatory rooms. With the rise of stoves, solar orientation ceased to be a priority, and heating based on coal or gas was resorted to, despite their high consumption. Reliance on fossil fuels and rationing during World War I contributed to the decline of English stoves, which had been designed to take advantage of solar heat.

Architect George Keck is considered one of the pioneers of the design and construction of passive solar houses in the 1930s and 1940s.[2] He designed the "House of Tomorrow" for the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago.[3] Following this, he gradually began incorporating more windows facing solar noon into his designs for other clients, and in 1940 he designed a passive solar house for the real estate developer. Howard Sloan in Glenview, Illinois. The Sloan House was called a "solar house" by the Chicago Tribune, and is considered to constitute the first modern use of the term. Sloan real estate company then built a series of passive solar houses, and with its advertising efforts helped make the "solar house" effect a movement in the 1940s.

For some authors, the first case was the MIT Solar House #1 built around 1939 in Massachusetts (USA) under the academic project and direction of H.C. Hotel.

In 1947, solar buildings were in high demand in the United States as a result of energy shortages during World War II. The Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company published a book titled Your Solar House, which shows the US as the largest nation in solar architects. These initiatives, perhaps motivated first by the great Crisis of the '30s in the US and then fears of a nuclear war, led architects, engineers, physicists and technologists to meet to debate their progress. This is how the American Solar Energy Society (ASES") was born, which was the pioneer association created in 1954. It was followed by the Argentine Solar Energy Association (ASADES) in 1974 and the National Solar Energy Association of Mexico (ANES") in 1980.

A more complex and modern incarnation of solar architecture was introduced in 1954 with the invention of the photovoltaic cell by Bell Labs. The first PV cells were very inefficient at converting visible light to electrical energy and therefore were not widely used. But over the years government input and private research has improved efficiency, to a point where it is now a viable source of energy. Universities were some of the first buildings to embrace the idea of ​​solar energy. In 1973, the University of Delaware built the Solar One house, which was one of the first solar-powered houses in the world. As photovoltaic technologies continue to advance, solar architecture becomes easier to achieve. In 1998 Subhendu Guha developed photovoltaic tiles and recently a company called Oxford Photovoltaics has developed perovskite solar cells that are thin enough to be incorporated into windows.[4]​.

Although the windows are not scaled to a size that can be exploited on a commercial level, however, the company believes that the prospects are very promising. In the company's mission they state, "Moreover, through the deployment of solar cells in areas where solar has traditionally struggled, for example, the glass facades of high-rise commercial or residential buildings. In both cases, allowing solar energy to contribute a greater proportion of electricity than is possible today and helping to position PV as a significant factor in the global energy market."[5]​.

The Solar City Tower in Rio de Janeiro is another example of what solar architecture could be in the future. It is a power plant that generates power for the city during the day while also pumping water to the top of the structure. At night, when the sun is not shining, water will be circulated to drive a turbine that will continue generating electricity. It is expected to be completed in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.[6]​.

Wood consumption in Rome exceeded that of Greece, due to its use as fuel for industry, the construction of ships and houses, and the heating of baths and villas. Wealthy Romans used hypocausts, burning large amounts of wood to heat their homes. This scarcity of resources led Rome to adopt and improve the Greek solar technique, using glass in windows to retain solar heat in greenhouses and public buildings. Solar architecture became so essential that rights to the sun, preventing other buildings from blocking the light, were integrated into Roman law.

Vitruvius, a famous tragedy writer, said: "If we want our house designs to be correct, we must begin by taking good note of the countries and climates in which they are going to be built. One type of house seems appropriate for Egypt, another for Spain... another still different for Rome, and so on with lands and countries with different characteristics. "[1]​*. He went* further than the Greeks in detailing where to locate each room in a house to maximize comfort. For example, it recommended that winter dining rooms be oriented towards the southwest, taking advantage of the winter sun, while summer dining rooms should be facing north.

In the 2nd century, the Code of Justinian recognized the importance of access to the sun, noting that any object that blocked the light of a heliocaminus violated its right to the sun. However, the Roman urban structure did not guarantee solar access for everyone, and only the rich, with access to justice, could claim this right. Unlike democratic Greece, Rome favored class privileges, leaving humble homes without adequate solar orientation.

Another simpler example of early solar architecture is the caves in the southwestern regions of North America. Like Greek and Roman buildings, the cliffs on which the indigenous people of this region built their homes were oriented towards midday, casting a shadow from the midday sun during the summer months and capturing as much of the sun's energy during the winter as possible.

All knowledge related to solar architecture did not advance and fell into disuse during the so-called dark centuries. In the 2nd century, greenhouses, or horticultural solar collectors, were used again thanks to vernacular traditions and the rediscovered Roman treaties. Until then, its use had declined due to the lack of flat glass and ecclesiastical prohibitions that saw intervention in plant growth as interference in the divine plan. After the Reformation, the Dutch and Flemish, freed from the authority of the Catholic Church, began to apply solar orientation in their orchards and greenhouses.

In the 19th century, greenhouses became very popular in England. The craftsmen of the time understood its operation well, applying night insulation and ventilation to prevent overheating and adjusting the inclination of the glass to optimize solar collection. The greenhouse quickly became an expansion of the home.

The use of greenhouses expanded in the 19th century, initially as annexes to homes and then incorporated directly into the structure of the houses as stoves or conservatory rooms. With the rise of stoves, solar orientation ceased to be a priority, and heating based on coal or gas was resorted to, despite their high consumption. Reliance on fossil fuels and rationing during World War I contributed to the decline of English stoves, which had been designed to take advantage of solar heat.

Architect George Keck is considered one of the pioneers of the design and construction of passive solar houses in the 1930s and 1940s.[2] He designed the "House of Tomorrow" for the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago.[3] Following this, he gradually began incorporating more windows facing solar noon into his designs for other clients, and in 1940 he designed a passive solar house for the real estate developer. Howard Sloan in Glenview, Illinois. The Sloan House was called a "solar house" by the Chicago Tribune, and is considered to constitute the first modern use of the term. Sloan real estate company then built a series of passive solar houses, and with its advertising efforts helped make the "solar house" effect a movement in the 1940s.

For some authors, the first case was the MIT Solar House #1 built around 1939 in Massachusetts (USA) under the academic project and direction of H.C. Hotel.

In 1947, solar buildings were in high demand in the United States as a result of energy shortages during World War II. The Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company published a book titled Your Solar House, which shows the US as the largest nation in solar architects. These initiatives, perhaps motivated first by the great Crisis of the '30s in the US and then fears of a nuclear war, led architects, engineers, physicists and technologists to meet to debate their progress. This is how the American Solar Energy Society (ASES") was born, which was the pioneer association created in 1954. It was followed by the Argentine Solar Energy Association (ASADES) in 1974 and the National Solar Energy Association of Mexico (ANES") in 1980.

A more complex and modern incarnation of solar architecture was introduced in 1954 with the invention of the photovoltaic cell by Bell Labs. The first PV cells were very inefficient at converting visible light to electrical energy and therefore were not widely used. But over the years government input and private research has improved efficiency, to a point where it is now a viable source of energy. Universities were some of the first buildings to embrace the idea of ​​solar energy. In 1973, the University of Delaware built the Solar One house, which was one of the first solar-powered houses in the world. As photovoltaic technologies continue to advance, solar architecture becomes easier to achieve. In 1998 Subhendu Guha developed photovoltaic tiles and recently a company called Oxford Photovoltaics has developed perovskite solar cells that are thin enough to be incorporated into windows.[4]​.

Although the windows are not scaled to a size that can be exploited on a commercial level, however, the company believes that the prospects are very promising. In the company's mission they state, "Moreover, through the deployment of solar cells in areas where solar has traditionally struggled, for example, the glass facades of high-rise commercial or residential buildings. In both cases, allowing solar energy to contribute a greater proportion of electricity than is possible today and helping to position PV as a significant factor in the global energy market."[5]​.

The Solar City Tower in Rio de Janeiro is another example of what solar architecture could be in the future. It is a power plant that generates power for the city during the day while also pumping water to the top of the structure. At night, when the sun is not shining, water will be circulated to drive a turbine that will continue generating electricity. It is expected to be completed in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.[6]​.