secret greenhouse - roof slope

hi Rick,

have a few questions regarding roof slope to maximize solar gain in winter/minimize in summer:

--- are there are any hard & fast rules re: figuring out the optimal angle? i realize everyone is different depending upon latitude and individual site parameters, but how does one determine what that angle is?

--- slope & building codes: i think that most building codes (based on IBC) require a roof slope to be 4 inches per foot. this may or may not be optimal for solar gain depending upon individual parameters. any creative ideas on how to design in case that it is not?

--- re: roof materials : any thoughts on the subject of this thread as it applies to your design?
https://permies.com/t/44837/greenhouses/Solexx-Polycarbonate

thanks.

siu-yu man wrote:hi Rick,

have a few questions regarding roof slope to maximize solar gain in winter/minimize in summer:

--- are there are any hard & fast rules re: figuring out the optimal angle? i realize everyone is different depending upon latitude and individual site parameters, but how does one determine what that angle is?

--- slope & building codes: i think that most building codes (based on IBC) require a roof slope to be 4 inches per foot. this may or may not be optimal for solar gain depending upon individual parameters. any creative ideas on how to design in case that it is not?

--- re: roof materials : any thoughts on the subject of this thread as it applies to your design?
https://permies.com/t/44837/greenhouses/Solexx-Polycarbonate

thanks.

Yes the slope does depend on a lot of variables... my roof panels are a double walled polycarbonate and they can withstand a substantial snow load...you can even walk on them.

In terms of roof angle, I just tried to maximize my height on the front and in the back (house side) of the greenhouse, so that I could have 8' in the front and the height in the back basically was as tall as I could make it without interfering with the windows on my second floor.