On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 21:26:51 -0500, doug houseman
wrote:
Casey -
I have the design for my new greenhouse...The walls will be 6 feet of
styrofoam and concrete (there is a version of the styrofoam that is
treated for mold, etc) that is below grade. I am adding a water storage
tank that will run the length of the greenhouse - below the benches and
be light tight. I will pump the water thru solar thermal piping during
the day in the winter to add heat to the greenhouse. In the summer, the
16 foot inflated double poly hoop house will be open all the way to the
top. In the winter, I will add a third layer of plastic 3 feet about
ground that will keep the warm air in the lower part of the green house.
I will be able to vent the air in the winter thru that layer to control
moisture and temperature. In the summer the 22 feet to the top, will
allow the hottest air to rise and be vented. The water tank should be
able to stabilize the overall temp.
If you want to talk more, let me know. I have been working with a couple
of long time greenhouse people to modify the design that my mentor, used
successfully for over 50 years.
This is the result.
Doug
Our gh is a lean-to on west side of the house. It runs north and
south. But this is only because there was not enough clearance to
put it anywhere else. The benches are just about ground level
outside. Which gives me a lot of head room over the plants.
The foundation goes as deep as the house foundation. That space
was filled with cobbles and provides a lovely heat sink in the
winter and a cooling bed in the summer. We have never over
watered to get water up out of the rock. We did have a
thermostat failure that burst the water pipes. But that was mid
winter with poor alarms. Not true now.
We have a power vent in one upper panel so we can exhaust the hot
air. We have not used it in years. We allow the roof vent to
open, let the misters run and it is cool enough in the gh. Some
times in the winter it will get to 80 on a clear sunny day and
open the vent. We heat minimally in the winter and grow a wide
variety of things.
SuE
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