The Year-Round Solar Greenhouse: How to Design and Build a Net-Zero Energy Greenhouse
Build your own passive solar greenhouse for year-round food production in any climate
Fresh, local nutrient-dense fruits vegetables are hard to find in winter in cold climates. Growing warm-weather crops like tomatoes, bananas, avocados, and other perennials is nearly impossible using conventional structures. The solution for millions of backyard and small-scale commercial growers is self-heating solar greenhouses.
The Year-round Solar Greenhouse is the one-stop guide to designing and building greenhouses that harness and store energy from the sun to create naturally heated, lush growing environments even in the depths of winter, covering principles of solar greenhouse design and siting, glazing material properties and selection, controlling heat loss, ventilation, and construction methods. Additionally, an in-depth section covers sustainable ways of heating the greenhouse without fossil fuels, including using thermal mass and storing heat underground with a ground to air heat exchanger.
Variations include attached solar greenhouses, earth sheltered greenhouses, plus integrating hydroponics and aquaponics. More than a dozen case studies from across North America provide inspiration and demonstrate specific challenges and solutions for growing year-round in any climate.
Grow your own food, anytime, anywhere using the power of the sun!
Product Features
- New Society Publishers
great information in the book
great examples. The amount of solar mass needed is … Everything it says it is and more. Well written, lots of references, great examples. The amount of solar mass needed is largely based on high altitude, clear skies, but enough explanation is given I should have no trouble building a passive solar greenhouse in Salem, Oregon. Altitude about 135 feet and lots of overcast days (weeks or months). Barrels, plastic or steel, are too expensive for me, $50.00 each. Gas 50 gallon hot water heaters are free and not much trouble removing the foam…
Clear writing, thorough coverage of the topic. I am working with Ms. Schiller’s company to design a small solar greenhouse modeled on her principles. This is a very thorough and well written book that should open up new worlds for someone accustomed to thinking that greenhouses are nothing but metal channel and clear panes of glazing. In particular the underground piping system, the GAHT system described here, is a very affordable breakthrough to create a greenhouse that will function year round. I tried to introduce these concepts to a…