6 Ways to Insulate or Store Heat in a Greenhouse

[@richardcooney7789]

I was talking to a Lady who sold dried Apple chips and fruit roll-ups at a Farmers Market .She said she had a greenhouse and heated it with 2 vegetable and fruit driers. . in the greenhouse .

[@SimpleTek]

interesting!

[@mkeyx82]

Probably good idea to put the oven and the clothes drier in the greenhouse :D

[@gregsanderson2470]

@@mkeyx82 electric maybe with the correct safty equipment. Not gas as the fumes can kill your plants. And CO can kill you.

[@willmakxam3834]

We have a freeze drier now at our farm. River's Edge Goat Dairy. The amount of heat that comes off of this unit is pretty amazing....... now I just need to build my green house!

[@richardcooney7789]

@@willmakxam3834 The way to look at it is you can put in anything that makes heat that makes you money Like a kiln or wood dryer veg dryer the biggest on going cost is heat,if you can blow that heat into a large container of sand it will last for days . The woman I talked to had apple trees and had two big dryers they ran 12 hr a day each when she shut one off she started the other up . Good luck to you .

[@LilmissJ111]

We have a farmer who lives west of us who uses geothermal air exchanger to help regulate the air temperature. Allows for year round usage of his green house.

[@SimpleTek]

sweet! That's awesome

[@ErichKemper1971]

My brother, most excellent pre-flood plug I’ve ever heard! Keep up the great work, I love your videos! Thank you so much for your time and experience.

[@SimpleTek]

Thank you for the kind words! Cheers from Manitoba Canada

[@namaefumei]

Always love seeing your videos about greenhouses! One day I'd really want to work with you building a great greenhouse. Thanks for the video!

[@SimpleTek]

Thank you for the kind words

[@lkhfun6575]

Yay. Simple Tek in the "green" house!

[@SimpleTek]

Thank you

[@lucianlucian987]

Thank you for the information in the first place! The best construction of a greenhouse would be the Chinese one that appears at minute 03:53, at least in winter. What would I improve? I would double or even triple the number of "quilts", or I would replace them with several layers of bubble wrap, in the northern wall I would leave about 50 cm of space which in the cold season I would fill with compost materials that I would fill it with a conveyor belt and I would empty the compost by opening some doors inside the greenhouse. For ventilation, I would use a metal downspout that passes through the compost in the wall, so the air warms up, or / and, the same flat metal downspout painted black that on sunny days will heat the air entering the greenhouse. However, for more safety, I would also install a classic heater! Don't forget the lighting during the long nights!

[@katipohl2431]

Here in Germany I compost horse manure with straw inside a greenhouse to keep the plants warm. This technique is shown in gardening videos from Europe. Gardening companies here sell big black hoses with water inside to put on the ground of the greenhouse. The sun warms up the water in the black water vessels.

[@SimpleTek]

Thanks for sharing! That's awesome. I hope to do some composting experiments soon as it's a great way to generate heat

[@willmakxam3834]

Ah what a great idea. I wonder how much compositor manure you would need for a green house? And what average temperatures you would get?

[@SimpleTek]

@@willmakxam3834 depends on the size of the greenhouse, insulation, climate, etc. Compost piles usually run from 120-160’F

[@willmakxam3834]

@@SimpleTek horse and cow manure is amazing compost. I wonder if our 60 goats would be able to create enough manure and heat?

[@SimpleTek]

@@willmakxam3834 mix it with wood chips and greens

[@kitt080863]

for a cheap fruitful co2 generator put a couple of mushroom logs in the green house. Fungi breath o2 and produce co2, but they must be shade so put them under a workbench or something

[@SimpleTek]

Good idea

[@kiimmig2293]

I’m battling my husband on putting our green house backing one of our many hillsides, with plans to bore or drill holes to use the earth heat/cooling. Having twice as much vertical land than horizontal we have options. 😊

[@SimpleTek]

You can do it!

[@gamertime8841]

Look into a walapini.

[@SimpleTek]

@@gamertime8841 they get reduced sunlight in northern areas

[@denisdufresne5338]

Isolating the ground under the greenhouse up to 8ft deep is probably a better solution than simply isolating the floor. This would allow to benefit from the stable energy (temperature) of the ground under 6ft. This action would keep the temperature of the ground above 5C during winter which would be great for winter production. But is that action would be sufficient to also keep the greenhouse air above the freezing point? or would we need a geothermal system Air-ground to ensure to maintain the air above the freezing point? Nevertheless, a geothermal system might be interesting to be used as an air conditionner during hot period, what do you think? What is the best?

[@SimpleTek]

A geothermal system needs the floor, not 8 feet down insulated as it uses more than the mass directly under the greenhouse

[@denisdufresne5338]

I do not understand your answer. Please add some details because it looks to me that my point was possibly not clear enough to you.@@SimpleTek

[@SimpleTek]

@@denisdufresne5338 I’m not a grade 2 teacher

[@denisdufresne5338]

Then you have not understood my point. A geothermal system can work well with or without a floor but I agree that it will work better with an isolated floor. My point was that for a very cheaper price another solution would be to isolate the walls of the block of ground under the greenhouse to create a thermal mass where the heat is coming from the ground itself. It keeps the soil unfrozen which keeps the plants happy and alive. It also warm the air a little bit.@@SimpleTek

[@SimpleTek]

@@denisdufresne5338 ok

[@jameskringlee8974]

In northern wintertime it makes sense to have plants growing in the home placed with southern exposure in a super (wood fiber) insulated house equipped with insulated shutters.

[@SimpleTek]

True

[@McCamerCoach]

Thanks for the video. I would like to build a dome greenhouse and work area What size of. Conduit Thanks

[@TheSRDR79]

also having mamals inside can help with both CO2 in morning and heating at night but for night maybe in diffrent part with out air circulances only heat can transfer "spreated by a metal sheet wall.".

[@SimpleTek]

Very true

[@J8n3eyr3]

You always do something interesting!

[@SimpleTek]

Thank you!

[@mimibergerac7792]

Putting black water filled cylinders between plants or in front of the north wall should help, too.

[@SimpleTek]

that's a good way to use thermal mass to hold and release heat!

[@kathrynkabara9861]

Thanks! I was just gifted a wooden greenhouse. I'm in Northern Wisconsin...so it is wooden on 3 sides and waist high on the side with glass windows. It has a long black shingled roof pointing north with a back wall of about 6 ft tall. The walls are 2 x 4 studs with decorative plywood on the outside. We poured a concrete slab and fastened it down. After watching your video I have a few questions. Would it help to paint the inside flat black? What type of insulation is safe for me and the plants for the side walls? What type of wall material is safe? As a starter I'd like to use it for 3 seasons....not sure how it will work....but it's faster ed down on a slab and I painted it to match our house....so it's a family member now😂 any advice would be welcomed!

[@SimpleTek]

I’d make the inside reflective of light, better growing.

[@monokheros5373]

COLOR is important Limestone WHITE has a tendency to stay a few degrees BELOW ambient air temperature Black has a tendency to absorb heat and stay above ambient air temperature add DARK pigment to the concrete mix of any thermal mass you want to retain heat in and do not add pigment if you want to radiate heat (more southern climates) so end walls black on the outside to absorb heat and white on the inside to radiate it a reflective layer on the quilting to help reflect any heat instead of letting it radiate is a bonus

[@SimpleTek]

VERY true - thank you!

[@gregsanderson2470]

The color white reflects all spectrums of light. While silver only reflects part of the spectrum. Therfore paint all of the supports white.

[@SimpleTek]

@@gregsanderson2470 well said

[@iamtmckendry]

This is helpful for many! In regards to insulating/storing heat, I really the idea to leverage radiant heat down low, so I like the pex/sidewalk paver idea. I'll be doing a Rocket Mass Heater myself. The second thing I wonder about is the blanket. It seems like a great idea, but I think doing only a small section makes sense in most

[@SimpleTek]

The university of Manitoba did a case study on that about 10 years ago with a Chinese style greenhouse

[@iamtmckendry]

@@SimpleTek Ill take a look at it! I was working off information about ambient light came from here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYaoaoeaZ86kj7c @ ~16:00 thermal curtain discussion. It's not a study.. but seems fairly evident

[@gregsanderson2470]

Another way to store heat is called a climate battery. It consists of an air tube to collect warm air from the top of the greenhouse and duct the air through tubes burrowed under the grow beds. And covering the plants with floating row covers, insulation for just the plants. That's it in its simplest form. It can get more complex. Small fans to move air /co2 in contact with leaf surface. Black plastic coils set in the sun to preheat water used to water plants. My latest, lean-to style, micro-greenhouse has concrete pavers and will share a window with the house. A thermostat controlled fan will move the extra heat. Cheap moving blankets as movable insulation. Instead of the 2d layer of plastic. Just a few ideas.

[@SimpleTek]

Thank you for the idea, there's about a dozen videos on climate batteries in my archives ;)

[@gregsanderson2470]

@@SimpleTek I found them thanks

[@H2Dwoat]

Hi, could you use used double glazed panes from house windows being replaced? I understand some home windows are treated to prevent too much sunlight coming into a room.

[@SimpleTek]

I would think you absolutely can!!! it involves a lot of framing but it's a good idea

[@H2Dwoat]

@@SimpleTek 👍

[@redstone1999]

I was told they block UV blue rays but lets IR red rays in and traps it from easy exit to outside. I got a bunch of different sizes from him for cheap as they were overstock and un-standard sizes. I am planning to use them for a greenhouse heating and heated air exchange units. I have built many types solar water heaters, but never used Low-E glazing. The reduced UV rays will help preserve painted PEX/copper/aluminum and polypipes. Yet the trapped Irradiation Red rays will increase the heating of the unit (in theory, anyways). Note: I had put a bullet hole in the largest one after it went through the damn chicken killing fox. After losing 22 chickens to that bugger, she cost me my biggest Low-E pane (3 ft X 5 ft). I tried to live trap her, but she was too wise to it. Maybe after seeing all the racoons trapped in it, she figured best to avoid it. Anyhow, I have many other dimensions to work with. Just means more framing to do.

[@SimpleTek]

@@redstone1999 thank you for the story, I hope you get the fox

[@redstone1999]

@@SimpleTek Yes, I did get her. Thankfully she did not have milk teats, so no motherless babies somewhere. That would of sucked big time. But losing half of our flock, also sucked big time.

[@georgiabelle3717]

At what parallel would you guess it is time to switch from clear sides to insulated sides?

[@SimpleTek]

not sure, I live north of Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada

[@georgiabelle3717]

@@SimpleTek I was hoping you had come across the answer during your research for the video. I want to build a greenhouse, but I’m paralyzed by perfectionism. Maybe one day.

[@redstone1999]

I do back half side wall insulated and glazed on front half. Come mid- October to mid- April, the front side wall has insulation board.

[@SimpleTek]

@@redstone1999 that’s awesome

[@georgiabelle3717]

@@redstone1999 I hadn’t thought of that. I’m going to incorporate that into my “someday” greenhouse plan.

[@autre1234]

Hi, Thank you for making videos :-) 6:30 - What do you mean by "radiant heat fluid to concrete slab"? Are you referring to antifreeze for floor heating pipes? I'm from Poland and I'm trying to understand what this fluid is :) Recently, I saw an interesting new kind of Chinese greenhouses - a double roof and the insulating blanket is inside.

[@SimpleTek]

Most here use glycol

[@Captain-Jimmy]

@@SimpleTek any advantages/disadvantages using distilled water vs glycol?

[@SimpleTek]

@@Captain-Jimmy water can freeze in winter, cracking lines. That’s the main reason to use glycol

[@reecewood1918]

Wow this is great. New sub! I plan to build my first greenhouse later this year. I'm hoping to eventually replace my job with farming over the next 5-10 years. I've got 1.5 acres to work with right now, but I'm neighbored by my ageing parents with 20 acres that nets Zero. If I can make 1.5 work, I can expand. Just need proof of concept

[@SimpleTek]

That’s awesome

[@briandash1351]

What do you think about "cold paths"?

[@SimpleTek]

What’s a “cold path”?

[@briandash1351]

@@SimpleTek I've seen other greenhouses that channel the low, cold air to somewhere lower. You would have a slant incorporated in the floor and (I guess) dig a hole, or provide some exit for that low cold air.

[@SimpleTek]

@@briandash1351 it can work in milder climates, I don’t see it working where I live north of Winnipeg

[@jamesmudra7943]

Looking to build a greenhouse in northern Illinois and the north wall with an east-west orientation seems to make sense. Trying to decide what materials to build the north wall. Current though is an insulated framed wall with a thermal mass lining the inside. I have also seen a design that uses a huge compost pile as a heat source and air tubes underneath that capture the heat and pump that into the green house. Any thoughts?

[@SimpleTek]

Use the best materials you can afford and a thermal mass that generates heat is awesome

[@willmakxam3834]

I have been plugging away at researching the same question. So far. I am leaning towards using a simple studwall. Outside. Inside. Straw bale wall or 12inch straw and then cobbed on the inside of t he greenhouse. Likely should house some tar paper or some sort of breathable wind or vapourbbarrier to prevent mold behind the wall

[@willmakxam3834]

Straw is about $5 per bale..... and mixing a few bags of Portland cement and clay or Mudd around the farm? Should do the trick. Cost? Least. Labor intensive but big suspect the long term oay off will be good.

[@seamus-jamesoshea8845]

a truly symbiotic relationship.

[@mkeyx82]

How low would the soil temperature need to go for heated floor to make sense? Thanks for the video.

[@SimpleTek]

good question, I use a radiant floor myself in my greenhouse and we get some pretty cold temperatures here 60 miles north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

[@mkeyx82]

@@SimpleTek In my Mediterranean area we barely hit 0°C, the seasonal cold strong winds are the largest issue. But the ground gets nowhere near the freezing temperature. Another idea that comes to mind is digging in a bit. Deeper you go, higher the soil temperature.

[@SimpleTek]

@@mkeyx82 you live in a beautiful area of the world!

[@redstone1999]

@@mkeyx82 Depends on what you want to grow mid-winter. If you want to maintain 20 C (+/- 5 C) , a radiant floor like Simple Tek shown in video would do the trick. Also by having 2 " of board insulation with 4-6 " of sand over and patio slabs on top will keep floor warm. A few dark water barrels will help hold heat. But if money allows, I would add PEX piping inbetween sand during construction. If you need to have extra heating, it is just a matter of hooking up pipes to system without a major rebuild later.

[@mkeyx82]

@@redstone1999 thanks for the information. "Board insulation" would be stuff like stirodur?

[@thehazelnutspread]

I was thinking of using one of those orange, thick, insulating tarps that they use for concrete construction to use as a thermal blanket. It should last a long time and is light enough for me to handle. Not very expensive either.

[@SimpleTek]

Great idea!

[@marittasidoroff5502]

You dont need a fan to create airgap between double poly plastic walls. In old days it was done using 3 nolon strings in each wall element. Fans came in 1980s. I might bee old fasioned but I will go with the old method for my greenhouse next summer as the fan only adds electricity costs.

[@Khal_Rheg0]

thank you!

[@SimpleTek]

You're welcome!

[@seamus-jamesoshea8845]

also put heat exchage unit in shroom room to usefully dispel the heat generated during fruiting.

[@willmakxam3834]

Thermal banking. Transfer heated air from the day or from all summer and pull from that solar bank all winter. Heat pump system using water or air should easily transfer this heat to and from your solar bank. Solar bank is typically the soil under the green house. Raising the ground temperature from an average of 14 Celsius degrees at 8 feet below grade to an average 18 degrees Celsius. I have yet to build my wallipini. Or one glazed wall/ceiling, 4 walls half under ground, like the Chinese green houses in this video, except 4ft buried walls

[@SimpleTek]

That’s awesome

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

I get around heat loss by having built my greenhouse alongside my steel-walled dwelling, which acts as a thermal mass somewhat. The floor is slab on grade. The exhaust from my house's gas wall furnace runs through the length of the greenhouse, so when I heat my house, I heat my greenhouse at the same time. Also, my electricity plan affords me free electricity at night, so I can run a small ceramic heater on a timer those times I'm not home. I have been considering installing a bypass on the wall furnace vent, which would spill CO2-rich exhaust from the burned propane gas used to heat my house, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I grow mostly leafy greens and herbs in North Texas.

[@SimpleTek]

I’ve never heard of free electricity at night! You need an electric car!!

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

@@SimpleTek I need an electric car like we need Biden running the dog and pony show!

[@SimpleTek]

@@WhatDadIsUpTo you can’t give 10 lbs of gold to someone who wants 10 lbs of silver

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

@@SimpleTek I don't want either.

[@SimpleTek]

@@WhatDadIsUpTo 747 right over your head there

[@dandan8333]

In northern areas of China, they will make a blanket using corn stalks that roll up and down at night. Have a great day!

[@SimpleTek]

thank you for the info! It's amazing what lengths some people without money will goto!

[@redstone1999]

Well now, guess the chickens will just get less dried shredded corn stalks bedding next fall. 😁

[@toechop]

My dream greenhouse would start with insulation with 2 ft of gravel on top then with air tubes. Then concrete floor with hydronic pex floor heat. Id attached onto my entire Southside of my home.

[@SimpleTek]

Nice

[@didgeridooblue]

Have you disabled saving a link to the Library?

[@VaughnCampbell]

Are you saying Carbon Dioxide in the air makes plants bigger? Hmmmmmmm. Never heard that on TV before.

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I love you videos and content. Can we get a smaller talking head maybe in the corner.

[@SimpleTek]

When I upgrade my editing software yes, currently using the free iMovie software and it’s not possible for my skill set to do with that software

[@seamus-jamesoshea8845]

add a mushroom cultivation room and pump CO2 from that room into greenhouse. and oxygen enriched air into mushroom grow room.

[@michaelrowley6069]

I understand and support your goal to find dirt cheap solutions to the system. However, it might be worth it to splurge on the windows as they will hold the heat you need. You might save on the long run with windows rated up to R50 and expected lifespan of 50-60 years. Here is a link to a KZbin video talking about LiteZone glass. I haven't purchased it but am intrigued. Do you think it might me worth it to shell out for this glass and save in the long run or to heat it conventionally for the same lifespan? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXSkdHqOdrlpn80

[@SimpleTek]

There is no windows rated at R50

[@SimpleTek]

The cost of having a 6-7 pane window is more expensive than making enough heat with eco friendly systems

[@michaelrowley6069]

R20 not R50. Sorry.

[@autre1234]

What is the light transmittance? What is the energy balance? Studies have shown that triple-glazed windows are good from the north, but double-glazed windows are better from the south because they have a higher energy balance.

[@SimpleTek]

@@autre1234 I concern myself more with R value vs cost

[@nickguthrie9309]

'radiating cold ---' doesn't happen; not good physics talk. Similar to saying that 'hot' air sucks cold air up a chimney. Better to say that cold air pushes warm air up a chimney. (The word draft is inappropriate )

[@SimpleTek]

you're right. I'm wrong.

[@terrencem5811]

why not calculate how much animal life you could use for CO2 offset inside the greenhouse? Perhaps things like rabbit hutches or guinea pigs along the thermal mass wall. 😁 edit: oh and manure for hot composting!

[@SimpleTek]

Good idea, I actually do go over that in another video

[@bootangy]

my greenhouse will face north

[@SimpleTek]

that makes sense. good luck with your mushroom and white asparagus venture!

[@ilikebigbuds5016]

You must live in the Southern Hemisphere .

[@bootangy]

@@ilikebigbuds5016 north uk darkness

[@SimpleTek]

@@ilikebigbuds5016 GOOD POINT

[@redstone1999]

@@bootangy AHH !! Somebody is getting ready for the geo-pole shift. Better make it floatable, because the Atlantic Ocean will say a big hello to the UK.

[@nadeem5476]

why u don't research before posting video?

[@SimpleTek]

how can you post from one video to another with 50 second time differences and actually watch them? shows you're an idiot on an idiotic mission with no facts or reason.

[@nadeem5476]

nonsense

[@SimpleTek]

idiot

[@MARS-GREENH0USE]

5:06 You say insulate the North wall that's because in North hemisphere the sun is in the South...but should still keep the thermal mass on north wall ...but nobody ever talks about that basically you have to have a WINTER greenhouse W PINK insulation walls 🧱 and a SUMMER W/ clear plastic walls.

[@SimpleTek]

I don’t think you understand