Is radiant heating a new technology?

Far from it. In fact, radiant heating traces its roots all the way back to the Roman Empire, where notable buildings were designed to include hypocausts—narrow chambers that would distribute the heat generated by subterranean fires. On the other side of the globe, Koreans had struck upon a similar heating method, involving the strategic placement of fire-heated stones. Centuries later, in the 1940s, radiant heat finally arrived in America, thanks to the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. If you're only hearing it about now, it's because manufacturers like OU STAR have refined the technology to the point of making it a viable, if not superior home heating alternative.