Steve Baker wrote:... I still have questions.
How much sunlight does the bioreactor need? My back yard doesn't get a lot (lots of Ponderosa shade) but the front yard, which does get lots of sun shine, is a "no-go".
Dr. Johnson said it drops to -16°F in NM where he has his bioreactor--don't the worms die?
First, I'm just taking a stab at this, I have never built a Johnson-su reactor, and I don't know for sure if these answers are correct, but maybe someone with more
experience can share too.
It looks like from the designs that I'm seeing, that sunlight is not necessary. The system itself is enclosed, so any sunlight would be unimportant for function.
I assume the composting action keeps temperatures higher than ambient air. The design I read even warns to wait until the temperatures drop after the hot composting ends before adding worms.
Worms can go into a sort of hibernation when their temperature and moisture needs are not being met. I don't know just how resilient they are though, probably it depends to some extent on the species. Around here I believe the worms dig deep into the well insulated earth where the temperatures don't freeze. I assume some insulation effect happens in the reactor as well, but I don't see temperature measurements on the design documents so I can't say for sure.
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