The use of unlimited sources of renewable energies is as old as the creation of the earth and mankind has used these energy sources in a practical and intelligent way to meet his daily needs.

There is evidence that shows that about seven centuries before Christ, man used the heat energy of the sun for cooking. In our country, the history of intelligent use of renewable energy goes back to the distant past. The oldest and most important documentary source on the history of using wind energy in windmills in Iran is Ibn Khaldun’s history. According to this historical source, the history of using windmills in Iran is related to pre-Islam and the period of ancient Iran.

In the days when there was no mechanical and electrical power to meet human needs, harnessing the wind and its practical use to convert wheat into flour has kept the life cycle and economy alive in the region. For example, the amazing Nashtifan windmills in South Khorasan are among the oldest windmills in the world. Windmills that are made of clay, straw and wood and show the masterpiece of Iranian engineering in the Safavid period.

The use of natural wind resources in the windbreaks of the central and southern plateaus of Iran for air conditioning, the use of solar thermal chimneys and the use of biogas has a significant history in Iran. Mohammad bin Hossein Ameli known as Sheikh Bahai (1031-935 AH) is among the first people who used this source of energy to heat a bath in Isfahan. All these examples indicate the intelligence of Iranian engineers and architects in the correct use of renewable energy sources.

Source: A part of the article Architecture and Energy (7-8), Analytical Research Quarterly of Architecture and Sustainable Urbanism: Adel Mohaghegh – Development and Commercial Manager of Payam Asia Company