A geothermal greenhouse can be built in two ways: by flooring it below the frost line, on top of pipe-borne water, and angled towards the winter sun, or by retrofitting with a geothermal HVAC system. A GAHT® system allows greenhouses to provide their own heating and cooling using the energy of the sun and the soil underground. A subterranean greenhouse is a great way to maintain continuous temperature and relative humidity levels throughout the year in your garden space.
Geothermal energy technology has the potential to expand the features of a growing space by recovering thermal energy from soil and water below ground. Geothermal heating systems can be used in greenhouses and other buildings to create efficient and self-sustaining greenhouses. The most dramatic design change to make a standard greenhouse more geothermal friendly is to bury it partially underground, excavating anywhere from 2 to 18 feet and building up from there. Trenches need to be dug 6-12 feet (1.8-3.6 m) below the surface of the soil to house the hoses or tubing that will carry heat.
A small greenhouse can be built using simple materials such as galvanized sheet metal, plastic sheeting, and roofing material. Geothermal may have low heating and cooling costs compared to traditional greenhouses, but upfront costs, time to adopt, and potential are important factors to consider. Some Chinese green houses roll down a blanket at night to hold in the heat, which some have automated. Air-inflated greenhouses are built with two layers of poly film held apart by a small circulating fan, creating an air gap to insulate the structure.
📹 DIY Geothermal Greenhouse Part 4: Earth Battery INSTALLATION
113 After starting to build our DIY EMT electrical metal conduit (1.25″) greenhouse two years ago, we are finally completing the …
What are three disadvantages of geothermal?
Geothermal energy, a renewable and sustainable source, is a significant source of heat found inside the earth’s surface. However, it faces several disadvantages, including environmental issues such as greenhouse gas accumulation below the Earth’s surface, surface instability due to earthquakes, high costs, location-specific issues, and sustainability concerns. Despite its potential, geothermal energy is less utilized than other renewable sources like wind and solar panels. Despite these challenges, geothermal energy remains a viable and environmentally friendly alternative.
How to heat a greenhouse in winter for free?
To heat up a greenhouse, create a “hot bed” or composting pile filled with wood chips, mulch, manure, vegetable scraps, hay, and vines. This can generate up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and can be used as a planting area. To absorb heat during sunny days, add black water tanks in the greenhouse, stacking them in direct sunlight or facing north. Use 2. 5 to 5 gallons of water per sqft.
Build a greenhouse with double layers for more insulation, such as twin wall polycarbonate greenhouses like the Riga. These greenhouses provide great insulation for all four seasons, especially in high elevations and cold weather. This method can be an effective way to increase the temperature inside the greenhouse.
What is the cheapest way to heat a greenhouse?
Gas heating is the most cost-effective option for greenhouses, with an average efficiency of 80 percent due to heat loss through exhaust ports. Open flame heaters emit ethylene gas, which can affect budding plants and cause depleted oxygen levels in newer greenhouses. Gas heaters with a flu and power exhaust are best for greenhouse applications, but they need a hole punched into the side of the greenhouse for exhaust.
Electric heating is the most efficient, running at 100 percent efficiency, but it is expensive and may not be suitable for many gardeners’ budgets. Passive solar heat can offset some of the cost associated with electric heating, and 240V units are recommended for greenhouse applications. For 120V units, avoid infrared heaters or heaters that transfer heat to objects instead of heating the air. Oil-filled radiator-style heaters are the best inexpensive 120V heaters for greenhouses, which can heat small hobby greenhouses during winter months when placed near a fan.
Passive solar heat collects heat from the sun’s radiation during the daytime and releases it into the greenhouse during the nighttime. This is usually done with water or other thermal mass that can absorb and hold heat for a duration of time. One technique is to line the north wall of a greenhouse with black water containers, which absorb light and heat that passes through the greenhouse to the north wall.
When the sun sets, the heat held by the water slowly dissipates into the greenhouse environment. When combined with electric heat, passive solar heat can significantly reduce the annual cost of heating a greenhouse.
Does geothermal work in hot climates?
Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) are versatile energy systems that can operate in any climate, including hot or cold. Millions of GHP systems are already in use worldwide, including all 50 U. S. states. In 2009, over half of GHP shipments went to 10 states, with a higher concentration in cold climates and high population densities. GHPs come in open and closed-loop designs, with the majority using ground heat exchangers to circulate fluid through a closed-loop design.
These pipes, typically made of plastic tubing, are buried horizontally or vertically, depending on factors like climate, soil conditions, land availability, accessibility to groundwater, and local installation costs. The design of a ground heat exchange system can vary depending on factors like climate, soil conditions, land availability, and local installation costs.
Do greenhouses stay warm in winter?
A greenhouse is a structure that uses natural solar heating, thermal mass, and insulation to provide warmth to plants. Sunlight passes through the greenhouse, warming the interior and absorbing by plants and soil. Thermal mass elements like concrete floors, bricks, or barrels filled with water absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night, stabilizing temperature fluctuations. Proper insulation is crucial for retaining heat, with greenhouse walls and roofs designed to minimize heat loss. Double-glazed windows, multiple layers of plastic film, bubble wrap, or thermal curtains can also be used to trap heat during cold nights.
How do you build a thermal mass greenhouse?
Water barrels or containers can help regulate indoor temperature in greenhouses by filling them with water and painting them black to maximize heat absorption during the day. They release stored heat at night, ensuring stable plant temperatures. Strategic placement is recommended in sunny spots near the north wall, allowing them to absorb heat without overshadowing plants. Water barrels are easy to use and cost-effective, making temperature control accessible to all gardeners.
Can I dig my own geothermal well?
Installing geothermal systems on property requires the use of an excavator and some experience. Hiring a contractor is often the preferred method for this difficult task, as it saves time and is safer for those without experience. The vertical network style is the second most common method for digging ground for geothermal piping, where single or multiple holes are drilled deep into the ground for heat exchanging piping. However, this method is more difficult for amateurs due to the deeper holes required and the need for sophisticated excavation equipment.
If you don’t own a well-digging company, you will need to contract their services. Lastly, installing a pond or lake loop is the easiest method, as it involves submerging heat exchanging piping into suitable deep water.
How deep do you have to dig for a geothermal greenhouse?
Geothermal systems for greenhouses can be deep enough to collect heat and avoid surface freezing effects. In moderate climates, a constant temperature of 55-60 degrees F can be found 6 feet below the surface. In extreme climates, the depth could be 12 feet, considering permafrost layers. Geothermal systems heat by pumping air through underground pipes, heating the air to ambient soil temperature before returning it to the greenhouse. Heat pumps can be added for warmer temperatures, but in extremely cold weather, they can extract heat from air above 50 degrees, operating at maximum efficiency.
How much does a geothermal greenhouse cost?
The cost of building a traditional greenhouse varies depending on the size and features. A typical home advisor website estimates that a traditional greenhouse costs around $10, 000, with materials ranging from $7500 to $28, 000. Construction costs can add between $3, 500 and $35, 000 to the budget. Small custom greenhouses between 500 and 1000 square feet cost around $25 per square foot, depending on materials, design details, location, and upgrades.
Hoop House greenhouses, semicircular frames covered with flexible plastic, cost between $5 to $10 per square foot. These frames are sold separately, but the covering must be purchased and installed separately, along with lighting, watering, and ventilation systems.
How to geothermal heat a greenhouse?
Earth tubes, buried 6-12 feet below the soil surface, are a simple and cost-effective way to gather heat during winter. These tubes draw air through corrugated plastic tubes, which are warmed by the soil. In summer, they can be used to cool building spaces by drawing heated air from greenhouses through the tubes and returning it to the building. The air can be warmed or cooled to near the soil temperature, similar to a refrigeration system.
An air to air heat pump can increase the temperature to 80-90°F for air heating for ornamentals or bedding plants. Liquid systems use soil heat to warm liquids like water or antifreeze, or extract heat from ponds or wells. Several successful systems have been used in these systems.
Is geothermal cheaper to run?
Geothermal systems are a clean and environmentally friendly alternative to other heat sources, as they use the earth’s naturally regulated temperature instead of fossil fuels, nuclear, or hydroelectric. They use as little as half as much energy as electrical heating systems and are known for their durability and longevity. However, the significant cost of installing a geothermal system and the need for professional technicians to complete the installation are major drawbacks. Despite these drawbacks, geothermal systems offer numerous benefits, including cost savings, environmental benefits, and the ability to be installed by professionals.
📹 The Story of Building my GEOTHERMAL Greenhouse
In this video, I share the process of building my geothermal greenhouse. I start by explaining why I decided to build a geothermal …
My god… I’ve never been more motivated. I’m currently going to an electrician trade school to earn a fantastic living, but to also learn how to wire up a system like this. My goal is to create similar content, but in the Northern Californian foothills, so I’m going to focus more on water retention and summer cooling (love the idea is positioning around deciduous trees)but I just love how practical and resourceful your design was. I want to give everyone a huge tip. Most residential housing developments have massive amounts of 2×4 waste, and there is a high amount of new developments right now, so hunt around the large 40 yard dumpsters and you will find unlimited quality lumber with minor defects. Follow for future content
I became 10x more impressed as the article went along and I saw how much work you did yourself and how resourceful you were in building this thing. I wasn’t expecting to watch the whole thing. But it was showing one cool thing after another. I think I’m going to try and follow a similar strategy when I finally tackle building by our own greenhouse. Thanks for the inspiration.
When I saw your property (south facing slope…or was it not south facing?) I started salivating for a walipini (sunken/partialy buried) style Greenhouse. Granted you have such rocky soil, but you had to do a lot of digging anyway and all the spoils could have added to your walls to slightly reduce digging. Based on how you present yourself, you probably saw and discarded this idea. Why, please? Hot air powered thermal mass was still an option.
I’m the 11th finisher! 🤦♂️🤭😇. One of my first summer jobs 78/79 was was a draftsman field hand for my next door surveyor neighbor who taught me how to draft out all his projects for the state of Maine. One of his project involved a passive solar log home. Looked like your greenhouse with black barrels mid floors, south facing wall of daylight cellar. Massive tiled floor and Stone Russian fireplace thermal heat masses. Your plan brought so many correct techniques. I had even painted a south facing back wall dark brown for the solar heat benefit., I saw benefits from some envelope homes being built into north side ground too. Great article and thank you for the excellent content. I’m a new fan.
Thank you and you are way too humble Imo. The forethought and years of being able to test on what works for your property season by season and all the random thought processes, problem solving and reaching out for reliable info and resources that really went into this projects success, is truly amazing. I also won’t leave out your super supportive family and friends that made it all possible. What I really admire is how well grounded you are with the sourcing of free or near free materials and how well you balanced the overwhelming financial needs of this against your desire to complete your Greenhouse.
You know, with your experience building your greenhouse and the geography of your property, have you ever considered building a passive solar heated and cooled home? Warning: It would mean much more jackhammering. You’d pretty much have to bury the living space of your house inside your hill. Also, the structure would be like a thermos: The living space would be inside outer walls, with about a foot or so between the outer wall of the structure (in contact with the earth and stone of the hill) and the outer wall of the living space. Basically, you’d have a house inside a house, but with NO insulation between the outer walls. This would include space between the floor of the living space and the floor of the outer structure, as well as space between the ceiling of the living space and the roof of the outer structure (the roof of the outer structure would have earth atop it). Again, with NO insulation between to living space and the outer structure. By “burying” your house in the side of your hill, you will be counting on the earth as insulation. From the middle of the back wall of the outer structure, you would run a pipe about a hundred yards back, and then straight up to emerge from the earth. The end of the pipe would have to be capped to prevent rain from entering, but the cap would have to extend well beyond the edges of the end of the pipe. That’s because there would have to be holes near the end of the pipe to allow air in (but screened to keep bugs out). This is part of your passive solar air conditioning.
The usage of space is amazing. Everything looks very well integrated into the natural environment despite the difficult terrain. The use of different natural materials, the design of the structures as well as the snaking way the pathways are constructed create protected spaces. Your property looks like it has been taken right out of an adventure game like Myst. Well done.
Very nicely done. I built something similar. I built it as if it were a “pole building” I insulated it with used polystyrene from flat roofs & filled the cavity fully to 8″ for an R40 in the walls, a R65 in the roof, & R20 sub-grade. I dug down 36″ & filled the sub-grade with washed stone (for drainage) then topped it with paving stones. The exterior & interior walls are covered in corrugated steel. Farm colors out & white inside to reflect sunlight around. It is oriented perfectly south facing. Vent windows low & high. As well as glass sliding doors on the East & West sides. The glass window sashes are installed at 45°. This was calculated by considering the height of the sun during late January/early February (our coldest periods & the start of my wife’s growing season). See, glass absorbs the sun rays best when it hits glass at a 90° angle. The harder the angle the more it reflects it out (summer time). I kinda wished I’d installed the cool Geothermal system. I plan on using a wood burning stove for supplemental heat during the coldest part of the winter. I’ll have several black 55gal drums flanking the stove for a thermal bank & to warm the water my wife feeds her plants. Idk. Hope all this works out. Good luck everybody 0:39
I think it’s amazing that you went through all that to have a great greenhouse I want to people aren’t as dedicated or interested with. You obviously know the value and I wish more people felt that way graph really cool I love the idea of geothermal not sure if passive solar would be enough, but I have seen projects in New York that have an above ground greenhouse no geothermal to my knowledge who have placed their compost within the structure and what that has done is provided heat I thought was brilliant because obviously if you’re going to use compost you’re gonna need it in the greenhouse, so yeah I love it. I love it all. I guess it depends on your wallet size what you can afford where you can start and then graduate like you did, something bigger and better I think greenhouses are invaluable. I also love the idea of Walla peonies, which is a South American underground greenhouse. Those are particularly good in inclement weather because you can grow food all year round. I still haven’t seen anyone do a fantastic job on it. I think that there could be more ingenuity but everybody’s different, so perhaps they’ll be some people who have the courage to do things in a way that hasn’t been quite done yet . I love perusal my shows they’re very educational. Thank you very much for sharing.
What a truly beautiful process of building you’ve shared with us! Like some others, it was my first time seeing any of your articles, and I found myself pulled along by one fabulous piece after another as you shared your thoughts and the what the act of building this structure – on your land – required. One of the things I most love about the art, and act, of building is that it brings one such exquisite problems to solve, and for the thoughtful person, represents such an exercise in creativity. Needless to say, I think you nailed it. Very much appreciated the “cool wife sighting” – as well as your wife’s able handling of the jackhammer! One last thought – I so appreciated how you walked us through your property, especially as you were coming up the stairs by the raised beds and stopped for a moment. I pointed out to my husband, unlike most folks, who endeavor to fence the deer “out,” instead you’d taken the approach of fencing the food “in.” It makes my day to see that sort of thoughtfulness in action! Good on you for all your very hard work, and I look forward to perusal more of your articles!
I bought one of those Harbor Freight greenhouses and never really utilized it. I did make a large cinderblock insulated foundation with the idea of burying pipe like you did but never finished it. You could also use a shade cloth during in the summer to reduce the heat. I bought one from Griffin greenhouse supply in Tewksbury. Looks like a nice greenhouse for citrus trees to over winter in.
I’m about to construct a greenhouse on an odd-shaped piece of property. Thank you for the idea to utilize the shape. Your architect friend helped me as well. I do have a lifetime of construction experience, but that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to the variety of ideas needed when working with different mediums.
I really appreciated the effort that went into this article. From the articulation in tandem with the storytelling, the models in aid of said storytelling, the editing. It was all awesome but what I think I appreciated most about those elements was the sense of inspiration & motivation to achieve similar results because, like the rock on your property, you broke down otherwise complicated ideas into easier forms. 🙂
Running a selfmade small 6m² greenhouse since some years. Used insulation and different solarpowered electrical heating technics to reach a longer growing period. Within the years i realized, i’ll need something bigger, more spacey. Realized several things to improve in a version 2.0 greenhouse. And then i stumbled over your amazing, really professionally made articles regarding your geothermal greenhouse… and mate, you bloody got me infected with your ideas. That’s what i was looking for without having the right solutions at hand… I’m about to build my greenhouse v2 now. A more serious one including a GAHT. Unfortunately in my country (old continent) you’re quickly running into a lot of bureaucracy once your greenhouse area goes beyond 10m² and you’re not a professional, official farmer. But perhaps one day there’s a v3… Nevertheless thanks a bloody lot for spreading and sharing the ideas. All the very best and good luck for you.
Unbelievable! I’m so impressed at your thoughtful design and resourcefulness. Amazing job using and finding materials that would’ve gone to the landfill. I have a question about that compost radiator design that you abandoned. Have you ever done one before? Can you really help heat a small greenhouse with a pile of compost? I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I love the idea because I have a 7 x 12 greenhouse right next to a 6×6 compost bin.
wow! Incredible. I just bought a greenhouse and currently prepping the site where it will go. I am blown away by your design and success! I live in southern NH and limited on physical ability and funds to accomplish what you did but so impressed. Will try a few things you described that I can manage and definitely check out your merch! Thank you for sharing your inspiring article!
Amazing article, I was so surprised to see your website only has 28k subs, seeing how well put together, informational and easy to watch this article was, I was expecting you to have at least a million subs. I wish the algorithm would pick this article up, you deserve a lot more reach for articles like these, they’re so informational and also just relaxing to watch. I wish I had the room to put together builds like these, so much fun and use to be had with these builds and growing in general.
Agree with so many commenters. I have been planning a passive solar greenhouse for some time and this has inspired me to action. Question – why perforated pipe in the ground? You can ge the same pipe without the perforations and would not need the covers and would not risk soil and dust leaking in. Am I missing something? Kudos on all your extensive planning and hard work!
I’m not very particular, but I know when someone take the time to make a professional finished project… as I am only half way through the actual article.. I have to say the time you take to describe and explain–the visual aids… this is a very nice professional article. However, I listen to podcasts at 1.7x speed. For a high focus, so long as you keep my attention type–you could speak a bit faster. Visually though, I love this article. Also, the nuance guitar soft bluegrass is at perfect volume for the article (and quite lovely)–thank you for not trying to scream over your background noise. Than you for sharing this idea and project.
great article’s, wish there was a little more info on the outcome of the actual temperatures. It would be cool if you kept record of the temperatures outside and inside on a graph for a year to show how it is working really. Coming from someone that lives in zone 4, I could compare more to our temps and see if what you have done is a viable thing here. Do you change the direction of the fans in the Winter or alter the tubes so you are not sucking the warm air at the top of greenhouse and instead draw the cold air from closer to the ground? What is the typical temperature of the air coming out of the tube in the winter?
What a cool demo with the cardboard!! It showed clearly how you did the design for us “visual people”. My question is: Can and do you grow tomatoes and/or cucumbers & peppers that you can harvest in the winter, or just “greens”? I like a few kinds of greens, but what I would dearly love to harvest all winter is tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers! Just enough space to supply myself with those three…. of my favorite veggies that I am forced to buy all winter long.
Very nicely done. There are so many interesting bits in this that it is hard to comment on any one. I do love the repurposing of materials. How do you go about finding them? Love the pallet shingles! I’m also in 6b- southeastern Ma. Are you located in southern NE as well. Thanks for the article. Greatly appreciate it!!
AMAZING COINCIDENCE. I started building gabion valls for my aquaponic greenhouse. I’m doing the entire north vall in purchased 3” drain rock, insulated vith 4” styrofoam. the base is 5 feet thick vith a three foot thick continuos section on top, then 20 x 45 gallon drums on top that the greenhouse struts attach to. it doesn’t look good no, but I’ll send you some photos. I love the looks of your property, and at least your rocks are free.
geothermal greenhouses are cool, i would love to build one. in fact living on a hillside offers a lot of possibilities for complete passive heating of a house. cf: earthship building style. You can build a design similar to your greenhouse, have living space in the back, greenhouse in the front, and always getting light even in the winter to heat up the home and the greenhouse all in one, while the back is insulated with earth and other materials. Coupled with geothermal heating and solar power for electronics, it’s a really low upkeep building style for a homestead!
Well done! You basicly had to deal with almost every bad factor I can immagine. From small size and ineffective proportions to questionably suitable ground. And to top that you DIY it. Is underground temperature on your property or region higher compared to average? During my own research on geothermal potential it was my greatest surprise to find how much underground temperature differs from place to place.
Great article — I think you put as much work in the filming and editing as you did on digging all that rock away from your foundation! Nicely done, on both tasks. Further, I was impressed with the aesthetic value of your greenhouse design and if you don’t mind sharing, I’d love to know the basic dimensions and angles of the structure.
Inspiring. I thought my block with thin soil, heavy clay and broken quartz was tough. Mine is a doddle compared to your hard flinty rock. Well done. Just to be clear, you use the heat pump / rock storage to keep your greenhouse cool in summer, correct? In winter, I presume you set it in reverse to maintain warmth from the stored heat in the rock. I can’t see how it would last very long as your hole is shallow. Other geothermal heat pump systems pup plumbing metres below the ground surface.
Great effort, brilliant design, and insane article storytelling and production quality! Would you mind sharing some more details on your heat exchanger? What’s total length of the pipes, how deep did you bury them? And what’s the lowest temperature you registered in the greenhouse? Say, on the coldest winter night?
Hi. Nice article beautiful greenhouse. I’m a small organic farmer surrounded by chemical farmers being pretty much destroyed by chemicals. Be happy you have a nice place to grow. I put in a experimental geothermal last year. It is doing great. Low buck as possible, using trampoline frame. Looking for new land, hopefully to build a another one away from spray.
I love gabiones for construction and I thought of building a greenhouse using them, but we have ground mice, a lot. And field mice, a lot, and rats sometimes. As soon as we put let’s say a bucket on the ground or forget a basket in a corner, next day something lives in it. So I figured, gabions aren’t not for our place. We needet something without holes – slipform masonry!
very cool build. due to water levels, rock and septic systems in our neighborhood, I’m going to attempt hot beds in a high tunnel. I’m lucky to be in zone 7a, so only have about 4 months of freeze. I am also blessed with a flat backyard. My biggest problem will be the local zoning laws and Bermuda grass—I will trying to compost my enemies!!
Great design. The roof on the greenhouse where the shingles are could also use solar panels. I’m sure if you put as much time into research you could design or create a pannel that is more than 25%efficient. Just be cautious and don’t patent any zero point energy, hasn’t worked out for others well after patent applications
I love the way you do things. Very well planned and executed. I have one question – how do you fill the two tanks that are in the greenhouse used as thermal mass? It’s probably through a hose but I’m interested to hear how you do that. You said you also water the plants through a drip system from the thermal mass containers, would be interesting to see how you feed the containers.
That was a wonderful article. Thank you so much for sharing. FYI from somebody with a coding decoding learning disability your change of view constantly was hard to keep attention to except you kept on grabbing the other part of my learning disability, by making them serve a point, so you keep me hanging on. (Try living my life 🙄) I don’t know maybe that was your point. Enjoyed the article either way lots of good info with tidbits of visual information & w curiosity’s in the back ground.
I like what you did! When you water your plants if you had flat land than will the water stay really wet in the soil and cause the plants to get to much water or would the water get heated up and turn into steam and float away? I have flat land and was thinking of using ICF blocks for the perimeter of my hole and also have it be the foundation for my building. Not sure where the water will go if I did that.
Cool! So you are pumping air through the 4″ perforated pipe. Why is it perforated? Is it to allow more warmth from the earth to get into the air? What about running a liquid (water/glycol) through the ground to heat the water? How fast do you run the air through the pipe? (Constantly, on a timer, etc?)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your greenhouse and property. It is on my wish list to get one. I have a neighbor behind me who the mass majority of his sorta pie shaped property is off to the left but he has a sliver about 30 feet wide right behind my garden. I’m hoping to lease it from him and put a green house up.
I’m imagining some track mounted on the interior of the long slanted roof face, where you might suspend some UV blocking film to be rolled up or down in summer months to prevent things from overheating. You could feed a monitored temperature in the greenhouse to a raspberry pie or something cheaper to then control something like a garage door motor to raise/lower bottom weighted UV film when needed. UV blocking because the plants just need the red/blue light and UV is needless high energy light bringing heat.
Excellent article. I am going to build a rabbit-heated greenhouse to make the rabbits happier. I have trampolines for the frame. My dream is to have a window greenhouse someday for a potting shed and to start seedlings. I had not considered geothermal for climate control. We are in Maine and have wet soil so I will need to figure out how that works in the equation. I love the use of recycled materials. I want to learn to make pallet shingles and use them on some of the existing buildings.
Nice greenhouse! I built my wife a greenhouse last winter but I didn’t get it finished until the weather got warm this spring so fast forward to today and we have had a few cold nights and unfortunately I’m finding that my electric heat is running constantly! I’m curious why the underground pipes you used needed to be perforated?
Nice build and that’s some commitment. I wish more people were this committed to growing in cold zones. A lot of additional efficiency can be gained by isolating all geothermal ground surfaces in the greenhouse and insulating over them while leaving an air flow gap between the ground and insulation. The purpose is to stop heat loss during the day into the ground and the air gap is to allow the air to circulate over the ground and go up through vents to heat or cool when needed. During the winter geothermal surfaces inside the greenhouse work work against you during the day or anytime you’re heating with the Sun or fire. The 50 deg ground sucks away and wastes a huge amount of your heat that would be much more efficiently stored in above ground thermal mass.
This is a truly beautiful greenhouse. I like it very much and am storing your ideas away in my mind as the differ from many concepts I have previously accumulated. Your L-shaped entry (double door?) is a very good draft reduction & accidental visitor reduction measure. May I offer some professional advice? Right, I know. … Insects and rodents will bore through your wood, lay eggs (not the rodents) in the wood and worse … molds and fungi will grow into your wood and can then cause numerous problems for your plants, not the least of which is fungal gnats. Cedar (and a few others) is significantly better, but not immune to these things. The other issue is the leaching of toxic chemicals from pressure treated wood and from woods that have been around roads or railways. LACQUER your interior wood heavily. Three coats is a good idea. I am guessing you would not mind the lacquer effects considering your materials.
This is a really cool greenhouse. You’ve done an awesome job building it and it has some really great features. Thank you so much for sharing. I have a question, what do you do to provide adequate light for photosynthesis during the winter? Our sun is far less strong, and is only around for about 9-10 hours a day in the height of winter. Do you use grow lights in order to make up for this? I’ve always worried that the sun alone wouldn’t be strong enough to support summertime plants in the winter. I really want a greenhouse, it makes me so sad to say goodbye to my plants in the fall.
Yes, you did miss something. I would like to know how you installed those LVLs. By the way, thank you for this article you are an inspiration in that you do it all yourself. I am that way too, I have to do it all myself no matter how grueling and developing a geothermal greenhouse AND a garage side by side is going to be on my DIY list in the coming future. I am hoping the garage part is done by professionals as much as I can afford, but the greenhouse side I want to do myself.
I have… no interest in greenhouses. I’ve managed to kill unkillable houseplants by simply forgetting I have them for like a year. I’ve done my best to keep herbs and stuff growing in my kitchen, which invariably die and stay on the counter as a brown monument of failure. Not sure why this popped up on my page, maybe because it’s tangential to heating garages and stuff which I may be more interested in… however; all this being said: this is an excellent article, a brilliant project, your narration is so good I watched the whole thing. If the rest of your stuff is on this level, I don’t understand why you don’t have hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
This such a well produced article. This is my first article of yours. It seems you are frugal and I get that me too but…. I think you should invest in an actual lens/camera that will give you the effect you are after. The cheaper mic works but that is another noticeable upgrade that would benefit your articles. The boots your wearing I like what brand are they? Thanks for the information. I really would love to see you on 20 level acres and what you could accomplish.
Shame about the oaks, did you consider pollarding or high pruning – some shade might be beneficial as climate change kicks in. Did you assess other poss sites for the greenhouse re. shade, sun, wind etc. How much do you consider the embodied energy and lifetime analysis of the new materials that your’e using? Very glad to see re-use of lots of materials and emphasis on stored heat through thermal mass of water and rock. See also Rocky Mountain Institute for examples of thermal mass design.
Great article and full with ideas and knowledge. I have so many questions, because i know very little about the geotermal. 1. What kind of pipe and sleeve you are using? Any links for them? 2. Did you do the pipes only under your rised bed or under your whole greenhouse? 3. Are those pipes separate or is it one continious pipe zig-zaging like a snake? 4. And finally – my greenhouse will be 12’x25′. How many feet of pipe i should have to lay to be enough to keep it warm? Thank you in advance for your help and knowledge. Adriana
I gotta ask, if you had to do it all over again allready having the experience from this 1 Would you either spend × amount of hours digging by hand/ jackhammering Or Now rates vary across the country but for argument sake say 1500 -2500 $ you could have a guy with a small excavator and jackhammer atachment come and do all that in 1 or 2 days Wich route would you chose? As a 3rd gen excavation contractor I see guys do things like this a couple times a.year. most recently i took a guy some gravel he had dug a 8ft deep hole next to his foundation to put a fire excape window in because he was finishing his basment. He had 20-30hrs hand digging a hole i would have dug with my backhoe for $100. I find its almost always guys that work desk jobs they either like the exercise, there just bord, or they need to get away from the wife. Its almost never because they have more time then money. Guys that work construction any feild almost never attempt an under taking like that by hand. Two reasons realy 1 there beat after working 8-12hr shift and # 2 the blue collar economy that exist among the trades although i have had an acountant, dentist, and an attorny trade services for services. The goverment dont like that when they cant get a piece of your labor 😢 There are those 1% of people that just like to say they built that all by hand, there a dying breed though. From the few articles i watch of yours i get the sence you might be in that 1%. Its a shame more people dont have your passion and pride in there work now a days