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Greenhouses & Garden Structures

Solar Greenhouse Plans

19 years ago

I am looking for plans for a free-standing Solar Greenhouse that was popular more than 10 years ago. It was heavily insulated on the north side and used 4X8 patio double-paned tempered windows for the southern exposure. The north roof overlaped the southern windows to provide shade in the summer. (I thought I saw these in the Mother Earth News years ago but have been unable to locate it in the M.E.News archives.)

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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Comments (9)

cactusfreak
19 years ago
This one fits the overlapping roof part.
I found several by doing a search on ME 'solar greenhouse'

Here is a link that might be useful: Mother's solar greenhouse
woodworm5
19 years ago
http://www.hobby-greenhouse.com/FreeSolar.html

Here is a link that might be useful: solar greenhouse plan..free
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This is how I am doing it this year. I only have enough room on my McSuburb parcel to have small-scale structures, so this year for experimentation one of the things I have is a 4 x 6 coldframe (walls insulated at ~R-5) with a below-ground insulated structure, a water-tubing subsoil heating system and ~30 liters of water for thermal mass. The glazing is 8mm twinwall polycarb at a 30Âº angle and at night I cover the glazing with an old sleeping bag. Further, I take some of the heated water and put it in the soil, which is insulated @ R-6 - down to 10" in a raised bed next to the house. Despite numerous days with highs in the single digits F (-15ÂºC ) and several lows well below 0ÂºF (-25ÂºC), last time I checked my soil was 64ÂºF in the sun and 58ÂºF in the shade (~18ÂºC and ~14ÂºC). Air temps during the day always need to be vented on sunny days and at night I have never dropped below 35ÂºF (2ÂºC), even on the night we hit -14F (-26C). So my dark-colored water and soil are my thermal masses. So, to reinforce anecdotally what is above, IMHO the original link had inadequate mass to keep from freezing for that volume. The glazing insulation is important. Any text on solar houses or solar greenhouses spend considerable time on solar access and solar mass, as well as insulating the glazing at night and opening the glazing to the sky as soon as the sun is up. For example, right now the coldframe has heated up ~4ÂºF in 3/4 of an hour's exposure despite cloud cover allowing only ~40% of the expected cloud-free solar radiation through. The sun is free energy. We must do more than just collect it to make it work for us. We must store it, distribute it, and insulate our glazing. Dan
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I have thought about these, it sounds like they function pretty well, but I have seen several in my area that are a few years old and they are very yellowed and algae covered.
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Patti: You are a long ways north so in summer will get a good morning and afternoon sun thru the east and west walls. At most I'd insulate the north wall. If it is insulated and reflective then it will add more light than it loses. I like the corrugated polycarbonate but if you plan to heat in winter consider the twin wall polycarbonate. Both come in types that diffuse the light, a plus IMO. Something like Solar Soft 85, or maybe 90, would be my first choice if building another greenhouse in an area with low heating cost. If heating costs are high the same type material in twin wall. Here is a link that might be useful: Solarsoft 90
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As far as solar panels, there was a discussion here last winter/ spring on heating and powering a greenhouse with solar panels. Those that contributed to the discussion provided a ton of info, maybe do a search for that discussion Good luck! David Here is a link that might be useful: My blog with greenhouse pics and info
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upforachallenge
18 years ago
I would HIGHLY recommend the books "Greenhouse Gardener's Companion" by Shane Smith and "The Solar Greenhouse" by Bill Yanda and Rich Fisher. The latter is out of print but can be found used on Amazon. EXCELLENT,EXCELLENT books, they have been my life line in planning and designing my solar greenhouse. "The Solar Greenhouse" has many plans that sound very similar to what you are describing.
nomadh
18 years ago
I love the concept of the mother earth solar greenhouse. I think it really looks like the way to go. I suspect in san diego I will never need added heating. It also solves the summer overheating problem with that overhang idea. I love it! Has anyone done this yet? How did it work out.
patbooks
18 years ago
I have used the passive solar technique to design and build (or have built) an 8 by 16' lean-to style greenhouse. I used a book by McCullough called "The Solar Greenhouse Book". It was printed by Rodale. We used the greenhouse through the winter in zone 4B with only a fan from the adjoining space (a minimally heated cement-slab 1,000 foot space, used as a bookstore) for air circulation. I was able to grow greens and overwinter houseplants, including flowering ones and a dwarf lemon tree, without any losses from freezing. The lean-to roof does offer some shade this time of year, so temperatures are moderate even without venting. Thermal storage is only partially in place, and it has a few seams that leak cold air and rain, so we have some tightening up to do this summer. I'm so happy with it I've decided to participate in a solar home tour that takes place Oct 1, sponsored by NESEA. Good luck with yours! -Pat
nomadh
18 years ago
Hey Pat. It sounds great! Do you have any pix you can post?
Thanks, Damon
nomadh
18 years ago
I've been wondering if I can build a solar green house based on the HFGH. It would be double sized of the harbor freight GH by using the basic kit but extending the frame. It would be double sized because you would use all the polycorbonate on the south wall and gable. The north side would be brick or wood. Does anyone think this would work well? I'm not a big fan of having a greenhouse that not only costs me energy in the winter but also cooling in the summer. And on top of that I'm not fond of paying for polycorbonate on the north side where the sun don't shine.
bob1440
18 years ago
Looking to build 16 mm poly sheet 12ft L x 12ft W x 10 ft H Greenhouse. Roof line can be higher. Normal roof.

Would also like to use new Steel 2x4s on concrete foundation.
Need a set of plans.
dethride
18 years ago
Ran across your post while searching for a solar gh design and recommend Rodale's Gardener's Solar Greenhouse c.1984. I'm building my own and their plan is doable, but I wish I was twenty again, and all my experience, and tools! As a retired builder, I really took to the drawings and different drafting views. Good photos, too, although I could always use more. Ray Wolf is easy to understand and follow. As an added bonus, the softbound cover is tough and the pages are heavy, sturdy stock that lay flat. I've ordered my copy.

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