I am planning out a passive
solar greenhouse, whilst my partner plans a pottery studio + kiln, which got me to wondering... why not combine them and use the electric kiln to heat the
greenhouse in the winter!
I am thinking that kiln would be situated inside the greenhouse, passively releasing heat when it operated in the evenings. In addition, the venting (important for the fumes) could heat the thermal mass by coiling through the gravel floor, and/or heating
water(?).
Has anyone done this? Help me think it through!
Some background on our situation & greenhouse plan:
-200 sq ft shed roof greenhouse (unless we pull permits for something bigger) with reclaimed windows, poly roof, and an insulated north wall
-in the winter the ground is quite saturated, so a deep insulated foundation or
underground piping will not work, but a swedish skirt insulation may work. We plan to build a slightly elevated dirt pad and then build up from there.
-location is near Seattle, WA, USA, where we have cloudy winters. Winter temps usually stay above freezing, except for occasional cold snaps in the the teens.
-Thermal mass would be water barrels, gravel or slate floor, and raised beds. Maybe a hot tub
.
Solar energy will likely be insufficient to heat these in winter.
-Plan is to grow edible perennials like citrus & avocado, and create a cozy respite from our long winters
Details on the kiln:
-will build a
concrete pad at the door to roll it in and out of the greenhouse, but even in the summer our nights are cool
enough that the heat from operating the kiln may be desirable.
-it will be costly to supply the proper amperage to the greenhouse. But we would need to hire an electrician and perhaps run new wire no matter where we put this kiln. I otherwise was not planning to have electricity in the greenhouse, but it would certainly have its advantages (easier to operate venting & fans, lighting for seedlings, etc)
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