I have a site-designed
greenhouse here, which has worked quite well and has some unusual design decisions. For one thing, there's a door on either end in the direction of the prevailing winds. 2nd, the roof slopes backward (to the north) so less sun/heat is collected during the summer. It maintains a temperature about 5 degrees above the outside during the summer, sometimes less if the wind is blowing, more if there's no breeze at all.
Some time this year I'll be selling this place, and I
should have the opportunity to create Greenhouse2.0. A lot of the details will of
course depend on the site I'm working with, so things are likely to change. But based on what I have learned with
greenhouse 1.0, here's what I think.
This time I will angle the front wall out a little bit to catch more of the winter sun. Perhaps a no brainer, but I'd never done this before when I built 1.0, so I missed that detail. With the overhang from the backwards roof it should still block the worst of the summer sun without really interfering with light. I will insulate the side walls at least halfway and angle the greenhouse a little more to the east to avoid the worst of the afternoon sun. Or should I angle it to the west to avoid getting hot early in the day? Hm. Probably depends on the site.
So if the site allows (primarily based on the
water table) I'll dig it 4-5 feet into the ground and use j-tubes coming up through the ground outside the greenhouse for venting. Location of the doors will again be determined by the direction of the prevailing winds.
I will build water catchment into the design so I'm not improvising after the fact.
Suggestions? Ideas? Concerns? Things to be aware of? Silly observations?
2
