Cheapest Solar Thermal Greenhouse

Cheapest solar thermal greenhouse to get through the cold winter months growing food. No digging required.
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[@ryansplaine5060]

Been watching your videos since they came out, for the past 3 months I’ve been designing a greenhouse that is almost exactly what you’re talking about here, except to bury them beneath the greenhouse and insulated on top and 4 sides with thick aircrete, and leave the bottom open. Then have radiant floor heating in the greenhouse with drain back if the pump shuts off (in case of frost in the greenhouse so the water can go in the tanks in the ground under the frost line). Same with the solar thermal panels, they have the auto drain back feature like in Ben Graveley’s videos. I have a high water table so I’m going to have to build up. I have included in the current iteration solar thermal panels to accompany the solar pv so I can have an even larger number of ibc tanks (they go for $100-$150 in Maine). Then I can charge the tanks with solar thermal and solar pv as well if my electric batteries are charged. The solar thermal would help for about 8 months semi-passively with water pumps and controllers. Then in the winter I could turn a different pump on that goes to the wood furnace in a heat exchanger to recharge the water heat battery. Been using chatgpt to help with the formulas for thermal loss and estimates for amount of days on a full charge if there is an extended cloudy period. Love the channel, and really appreciate the videos

[@SimpleTek]

That sun ds like a great plan! Thank you for sharing

[@toechop]

Hi. Any videos on your build?

[@SimpleTek]

@@toechop this summer

[@SimpleTek]

@@toechop in the archives

[@willmatthews1502]

Hi Ryan - any chance you can send me your plans for this? Will

[@jamesparks6137]

Adding wind is a great idea for my location, especially since they require a dump load anyway, and a large resistive load is the most common dump!

[@SimpleTek]

That's awesome!

[@kimrodgers5895]

My husband and I have been heating our greenhouse with a similar system this winter. I thought about dropping a fish tank heater in our 55 drum to heat the water. We have a 10x12 greenhouse. And are using a car radiator with marine battery to come on when temp drops below 50 degrees. You definitely need wind and solar to keep this system running smoothly.

[@SimpleTek]

That you for the info! That’s awesome

[@r.janssen3037]

Thank you, I have been enjoying your content. We have a 1200 sq ft (111 sq m) off grid greenhouse at 7400’ (2255m) in the Rockies. We use a climate battery and are able to grow figs, lemons, limes and grapefruit as well as fujawa, wasabi and avocado and more with a leafy greens understory. There is also a wood fired sauna down low and 3000 gallons (11,365 liters) in two fish tanks. Having power enough to run the climate battery fans at night in the winter is crucial to our success.

[@SimpleTek]

That’s an awesome setup!

[@pearlgirl]

Wow I'm in Calgary Canada, zone 3b. I'm lived in Texas zone 8 and I got spoiled and used to my lemons, limes, figs, pomegranates, and avocados. This was inspiring.

[@SimpleTek]

@@pearlgirl thank you

[@Swampwild1]

Wow! Well done.

[@Mark300win]

@r.janssen3037 what do you mean by climate battery?

[@williamwalter8554]

Scott where you been. I hope you are well, and in the greenhouse tinkering away. I hope new videos are coming soon. CHEERS, Bill

[@SimpleTek]

Good to hear from you Bill! New videos coming soon

[@007DFWAngel]

Instead of multiple heaters, you could consider the possibility of daisy chaining the containers 🫙 together a tube can connect much like a straw through the tops. Stagnant tanks not good. Also, consider recapturing energy with the movement of the water as well as the heat differential applied to a sterling motor. 😊

[@SimpleTek]

Interesting

[@daves1563]

I get an extra 40 or so days on the back end by heating around 4-5 nights, and 40 on the front end for the same. I’m fine with the extra 80 or so days in my 11x22 insulated greenhouse. That’s for warm crops, it’s longer if it was cold crops. I don’t have farmers markets to sell at anyways, and I got enough food stored. I mainly use my Greenhouse in the winter to workout on sunny days.

[@SimpleTek]

That's awesome, thank you for sharing

[@HigoWapsico]

Thank you! I’d love to try this.

[@SimpleTek]

You should!

[@richt4297]

This is a fantastic idea, one which I had planned on implementing, now I am more confident in it's ability to work. Thanx for the vid.

[@SimpleTek]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@paulnandico2370]

Greenhouse is almost done. It is attached to the house. 2 IBC tanks already waiting on the north wall. (I had hoped to use them for water catchment, but we can't collect water much of the year in the White Mountains anyway. Too cold about 7 months of the year. So, maybe this is a better use of them. Plus, being connected to the house, this system could save heat we're losing out the connecting windows...or even give us heat on milder days from the greenhouse...without having to use the wood stove. Already have solar panels and a windmill. I may be far along on this. Thanks. Had hoped our woodstove would provide enough heat, but it is barely able to heat the house. Greenhouse is about 300sf more, and obviously less efficient.

[@SimpleTek]

That’s awesome

[@JWTX]

I like that idea, giving the thermal Madd an exponential bump. Good idea 💡 I will try this in the near future. Thanks for the informative video and keep up the good work.... Jeff

[@SimpleTek]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for the kind words!

[@sagecoach]

An experiment this fall and winter at 45 degrees north latitude in Minnesota produced little heat due to a lack of sunshine. It was a 500-watt solar array at 120 volts direct to a 120-volt 500-watt baseboard heater. Data was recorded. Conversely, direct-to-load DC solar is super effective in heating domestic hot water and in-floor heating spring and summer.

[@SimpleTek]

It’s why I think windmills should be added

[@sagecoach]

@@SimpleTek Windmills have their place, here I am eliminating electronics and batteries for a low cost and I don't know of a 120 vdc windmill and they may not be inherently power limited as solar panels are.

[@jamesparks6137]

At my rural dump they often have free water heaters that could provide the water tanks for free. Most are for gas but it wouldn't be that hard to weld in a bung for an electric element. Or just cherry pick the electric ones. Typically 40 or 50 gallons it would take several to equal one tote but the footprint would be better for my 8ft x 24 greenhouse. Great video! Just a couple more thoughts, the heater tanks are already black if you remove the cover and insulation. Could also just cut off the south facing portion and keep the insulation on the side of the tank facing the north wall. If you have any mice it's probably not a good idea to keep any of the insulation as they love it for nests.

[@SimpleTek]

the household hot water tanks are AC, although possible it's easier to use a DC heating element with solar - they aren't expensive, under $50 usually

[@bodyzoasispersonaltraining9186]

​@@SimpleTekdo you have a link for the heater by chance.

[@SimpleTek]

@@bodyzoasispersonaltraining9186 sorry no

[@007DFWAngel]

Are mice as sensitive to rags with Ammonia or is that only rats? 🐀 They are so sensitive that they will leave when you dispatch rags where you don’t want them. Spiders 🕷️ hate Lavender. 😂 took me 10 hours of searching to find that simple answer 😂 😢too late for the rats 🐀 🐀 🐀 in the walls that got cooked by the fireplace 🔥

[@monokheros5373]

you can use a thermal cascade using one heated tote and piping to the rest thru check valve loop forcing the water to flow thru all the totes with only the heat source as the "pump"

[@SimpleTek]

yes you can!

[@TheWtfnonamez]

I just found your channel and you are awesome. I live in the very North of the UK and suddenly find I cant grow a damn thing. Really glad I found you brother.

[@SimpleTek]

Thank you for the kind words

[@xXIronPeachesXx]

I think thanks to parabolic setups i could modify this setup to heat a long black fire brick or sand battery using straight solar heat from the mirrors. No power, but amazing retention, sand battery can store heat energy well over 6 hours and long enough to get a greenhouse through a cold night. Say you want to build an incinerator you could burn wood and underbrush clippings on stormy days to heat the sand once in the morning and itll stay on the rest of the day nice and warm too

[@SimpleTek]

Great ideas

[@niccolealdrich4890]

I plan on a setup like this when we buy our new home. We're planning on growing and selling produce to help pay the mortgage. I'm going to be taking notes on everything we do and what works/doesn't work.

[@SimpleTek]

Please keep me updated!!!

[@niccolealdrich4890]

@Simple Tek For sure! I'll post on my YT channel once it's up.

[@3D_Printing]

If you plant flowers, etc close to the South Wall, in the North, it stores heat in the wall bricks. Not a lot but a bit that is said to help those plants grow

[@SimpleTek]

interesting

[@michaelboyle4231]

I've been looking at the ancient Korean hanok system of underfloor heating using a small fire outside one side of a house or greenhouse and shallow channels under the main floor acting like a chimney as the rise up very slightly from the small fire at one end then out of a slightly raised chimney at other end. The heat flowing through the the shallow channels heats up the stone slab floor and holds the heat for over 16 hours even after the fire has gone out. The fires use very little wood or charcoal as the don't have to be very large fires and are very safe as the fire and smoke are contained outside the main building from one side to opposite side and only the heat and smoke traveling under the sealed stone floor. Many of the Korean people are returning to the ancient way of living as it's much cheaper and eco friendly and healthier and gives out natural penetrating far Infrared thermal heating.

[@SimpleTek]

You mean ondal Korean heated floors, I just did a video on that a month ago. It’s in my archives

[@kevinolson1102]

For clean burning, so as to reduce the risks of CO poisoning and potential for creosote buildup, look at the rocket mass heater designs. Especially the batch box versions, since they don't need constant attention like the traditional rocket stove arrangement, and have tested to be very efficient combustors of dry wood. Peter van den Berg (Peter Berg), Matthew Walker Remine (Matt Walker), Kirk Moberg (Donkey), Max and Eva Edelson and others whose namesI am forgetting at the moment have iteratively worked on the batch box design and pretty well have it down to a cookbook recipe. Just a thought...

[@Swampwild1]

I like this idea too but it would be a big project. Maybe have a continuous pool as part of the greenhouse and do this in the same building. Your own small Roman bath as part of your thermal mass setup.

[@jessegriffin9]

I've been scrolling your channel and learned many things. New sub here

[@SimpleTek]

Welcome! Thank you for the kind words

[@douggibson9084]

Excellent video, thanks

[@SimpleTek]

Thank you

[@yellownightjar]

Sounds good, interesting

[@Rider.-ye4te]

it's holding the water that's the hard part. Where im at, it's $130 a drum. And in a cold climate, it takes LOTs of drums. Then adding these extras to that price = out of most people's range. Thanks for the good ideas.

[@petergommans3429]

Here in the Netherlands you can get IBC containers (1.000 ltr) for € 50 per container. Even containers with heatingelements.

[@SimpleTek]

That’s awesome!

[@Sparkeee1978]

With Net metering, if the utility company allows (as is common) they bank your summer solar KW's and you can utilize them for winter use. in this case, you can use the grid as the battery to hold KW's from summer, all the way into winter, to be utilized to heat the thermal mass in winter when no solar comes in.

[@SimpleTek]

That’s an option if available

[@superresistant0]

Depending on the country the rate of buy is 10 times lower (and worse) than the sell price so it wouldn't work.

[@HardcoreFourSix]

The IBC totes also stack easier and in a much more secure manner.

[@SimpleTek]

good point

[@BotasULU]

❤❤thanks for info,you are great❤❤

[@SimpleTek]

:)

[@robotica6089]

Great content. Thnx! Just FYI: sound quality/level is low. Not sure why. But, if you can, please increase it. Maybe it's on my end? Idk. I appreciate your videos!

[@cryptogeezer8219]

Good ideas....im thunkin that could be versatile way to heat the home and the adjacent ghouses...

[@SimpleTek]

Cool

[@user-ic2ug8ys1z]

You and Dan(Plant Abundance) must be on the same wave length. Go over and look at his fish tank heater setup. Both of you guys have great channels with solid content. Thank you. 😃🌱🐢

[@SimpleTek]

Thanks for the tip, I haven't heard of his channel and will check it out!

[@taliarose6573]

Very smart 💡 idea I'm really loving your videos. Thanks man

[@user-ic2ug8ys1z]

@@SimpleTek Look up his video on a building a compost tea brewer. Simple and effective. Dan is a garden guru.

[@SimpleTek]

@@taliarose6573 thank you

[@mochoman5532]

Add compost heating, a biogas digester/collector system to run a water heater and possibly a water wood heater.

[@SimpleTek]

Good idea

[@nailtips8235]

Great video

[@SimpleTek]

Thank you very much! I appreciate that.

[@RandomActsOfMadness]

I got a pool heat pump for 500USD, moving heat to a 350USD inflatable pool inside the greenhouse. Doubles as thermal storage and “tropical garden Spa”. 0.9 kW electricity dumps 5.5 kW of heat. Also got used IBC tanks for 25USD each, dirty ones will store heat just as well. When the pool is hot enough we direct the heat to the IBCs, that will be partially buried under our raised garden beds at the north wall. Will come live this summer. Version 2.0 will be molten salt thermal storage in the IBCs, but Putin has apparently disrupted the supply chain of calcium chloride so that will have to wait..

[@SimpleTek]

That's awesome and unique, thank you for sharing

[@brunodiben]

Im thinking in building a cooler/heater peltier based system, I plan to locate it ouside of the greenhouse for disipating the heat when I want cold and viceversa, and lets say I want to cool my greenhouse, I circulate water between the cold side of the peltier and a water barrel located inside of my greenhouse ( probably more barrels as battery, connected or not, will see), also can circulate to some radiator/fan for air cooling. Let me know if you like the idea. It looks interesting since it can be easily powered by solar panels I have not calculated anything yet, just was my first idea when figured out that peltier exist and its basically a heat pump, so lets use as it is 😆 Thanks for your content

[@SimpleTek]

@@brunodiben I hope it works for you!!!

[@nickrowe9221]

We plan to use 2, 20 Foot shipping containers as heat batteries to heat our greenhouse. They will be filled with sand. ALMOST as good a conductor as water but in a worst case scenario (say 3 weeks w/no sun) they will not freeze and burst pipes like water. We will use both PV and Hot water solar collectors and study which system works best. We plan to super insulate them and then super charge them in the summer so the excess heat can be drawn off all winter.

[@SimpleTek]

Very cool

[@ianpottinger1742]

A company call Polar Night Energy is using this concept to heat large buildings and even urban centres. Very good idea! I hope it works out for you.

[@pre176]

Sand is nowhere near as conductive, nor near the heat capacity as compared to water. Its benefit is that you can push it well above 100C and that you don't have to worry about freezing, contamination, leaks, etc. The downside of the high temp capability though is that you need much better insulation to contain your heat losses. So you have to design a system that you can effectively add and withdraw heat, while also not losing it all due to the high delta T. But since it seems your using a solar collector, you're kind of losing one of the benefits of sand. PV alone wouldn't limit your thermal mass to 100C

[@toechop]

Hi. Always love watching your videos. I saw a guy on KZbin called Simply solar where he made a home made 8ft high by 24ft solar hot water collecter. He used glycol fluid to get the heat to his basement into a large vat. In the vat he had a series of oils to transfer the heat to the thermal mass water tank.I wonder if this would work in the video you did here. It didn't take much glycol since it just has to get the heat to his basement. I would think that would be cheaper than using heating elements in the tote or barrels.

[@SimpleTek]

Yes that would work

[@wocookie2277]

What about electric stove elements and metal drums with sand. Higher temperatures and incorporate a water coil and radiator with a solar pump. I’m tinkering with this design incorporated in a small ferro cement pond to try and create a micro climate.

[@SimpleTek]

Interesting idea…

[@pre176]

Problem is that greenhouses don't usually need heat when it's sunny out, even if it's very cold. That solar pump ain't gonna help much when it's night outside and you actually need the heat from your thermal battery.

[@Swampwild1]

Sounds great. I think we need to get into some construction details about the Chinese greenhouse. The package prices are very high. Unless we give up on the night curtain idea altogether how can we DYI it?

[@haddow777]

Seems good, although I personally wouldn't give up on solar thermal so easily. Solar elrctric is effectivley 18% efficient at peak sunshine. Solar thermal is far above that as it can get heat from a much broader spectrum of the sun's light. So, while the solar electric is coming down in price, ypu would in effect need to get 4-5 times as much coverage to capture the equivelant wattage of power. As for freezing hazards, that would need to be investigated and tested, but I imagine that with a mix of antifreeze mixed in with the water and burying the tubes to and from the panels, things could work just fine. For areas that get a lot of cold, this seems like a better idea especially for the fact that clouds are well known to act like blankets reflecting infrared light back to the ground. So the panels cpuld not only benefit from capturing what direct infrared light gets through the clouds, but also what is bounced back. Meanwhile, solar electric panels would be working with whatever frequencies of light it generates from. I will admit, I'm not sure if those parts of the spectrum are as highly reglected by cloud cover or not, but the infrared spectrum is fairly wide, much wider than the visible spectrum, so I would assume the thermal panels would be collecting a larger secondary light boost than thr electric panels. Still, if it works, nobody can complain about it. A working model is always better than a theoretical one.

[@SimpleTek]

Well said

[@unionse7en]

further thoughts...even though a heat pump ibc tank water heater might be more thermally efficient, it is probably cheaper to add more panels and just use resistive elements. As long as there is room for more panels. During extended very cold/non sunny times freezing of systems could be an issue. I think the totes would hold up to freezing expansion forces, but not the rigid plumbing and valves. A flexible pond liner bladder with no rigid ports...instead use non rigid plumbing that hangs into the top hole.

[@unionse7en]

PS I think you could source resistive elements that are wired directly to your panels, no electronics necessary

[@SimpleTek]

I agree

[@rickvia8435]

Resistive elements would only function when the sun is shining. The purpose above is to heat the water during the day and use its thermal mass to sustain the heat at night. If freezing of the medium (water) is a concern, pour a couple of gallons of antifreeze into the vessel for extended periods of freezing temperatures.

[@SimpleTek]

@@rickvia8435 I see you’ve never lived in a cold climate

[@SimpleTek]

@@rickvia8435 well said

[@austintrees]

You are single handedly the best greenhouse source out there, bar none. Would you also add that Asian style under floor rocket stove heater to this as well?

[@SimpleTek]

I did a video on Korean ondal floors last month, it’s in my archives:) Thank you for the kind words

[@austintrees]

@@SimpleTekthat's where I first heard of it, would you combine this style, Solar heated IPC tanks & thermal mass with Ondal & rocket stove floors? Or would that be over kill? (I'm in USDA zone 5b at 1300' ft elevation in Ohio)

[@teeebeee3946]

I would use a wood burning stove and Cooper line to circulation coil like a radiator in the winter vs panels and use the same IBC containers

[@SimpleTek]

cool!

[@ronderoo7986]

Thanks

[@SimpleTek]

@@ronderoo7986 you’re very welcome

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

Going with comfortboard 110 on the floor, north wall, and roof on my 24x24 cottage. Will add on later. The 4x6 pieces r 12. Roof will be double layed. I hand dug the 6 foot piers and foundation. Oh yes will insulate and thermal break/vapor barrier those piers. I will be using a cmu block, vermiculite cored, low perm wrap, comfortboad, wrap, air gap, and masonry veneer. Floor thermal break, insulation, limestone fines, concrete, and black slate. I am gonna need to put a cistern indoors to keep water from freezing. I have flowing point well and use gas water pump to get water up to the ridge at building site/camp. I use blue barrels 65 gallons for water storage now while at camp. Skillion roof 6/12 pitch with 3 columns of 16x7 of windows. Roughly window area of half the foot print space. But add in lofts and plants. And it makes more sense. Can always open windows and doors in summer. Highs average in the mid 70's for 2 months.

[@SimpleTek]

That’s awesome

[@texasprepperprojects]

I love the general concept, but I disagree about direct solar water heating. In my testing, I got a lot more heat by circulating water through black tubing using a fairly small pump (which means a smaller solar panel to provide the electricity) than using a BIG panel and a water heater element. But I'm in Texas where I get a LOT of direct sun.

[@SimpleTek]

Great info, thank you

[@texasprepperprojects]

@@SimpleTek Check your email! I messaged you about my geothermal AC. It's coming soon!

[@kathyjenkins4067]

I'm thinking of buying a small greenhouse just for my cactus collection in Michigan. Any tips for me? Thanks for the great video !😊

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I find your better off insulating the floor over thermal mass on the north wall. The glazing and ground is where most heat is lost. My ground temp is 48*F. So insulation and thermal break go real far.

[@SimpleTek]

location plays a lot in that decision

[@HansMcMurdy]

Here's a challenge: Design a house that uses a combination of a Korean ondal floor and kitchen to heat the house and a separate akhchāl like design to cool the house

[@SimpleTek]

Interesting concept

[@pipe2devnull]

and you can use the solar generated electricity for other things when it is warm outside.

[@SimpleTek]

very true!!!!!!

[@deborahengelhardt2344]

Only a part of our ground is without "water pipe endangering" tree roots. Can one use earth tubes to cool geo water pipes in the ground? Lay the long earth tubes over a bed of water pipes so there is some kind of an exchange? This is for a home, not greenhouse...in the wet Pacific Northwest so air quality otherwise would be an issue due to earth tube dampness.

[@chris-ur7fu]

I've been thinking about boxing my barrels in with black aluminum sheet metal then venting a my solar pop can furnace into the aluminum barrel box on the bottom right or left then putting an exhaust on the other end at the top. Should heat the barrels alot faster with sun and the exhaust fan. My solar pop can heater pumps out 130f

[@SimpleTek]

Good idea

[@jasikanicole4222]

Great concept, but I implore you to look into sand battery as an alternative to water storage. Sand with heating elements bury inside the sand connect to solar panels. The sand will absorb all the heat from the heating elements produced by solar. At night where there is no solar, the sand battery will slowly dissipate the store up heat into the green house. Sand is widely available and it's cheap. Add a tub of water, and the water will naturally evaporate inside the green house keeping it humid.

[@SimpleTek]

I have a video on that I did a couple years ago in my archives

[@gourmetfreezedriedgoodie-ym6sv]

So what will hold the heat longer, water or sand or should you use both?

[@superresistant0]

Water is basically free and it's easy to dump if needed so I don't see the point of sand at all.

[@pre176]

@@gourmetfreezedriedgoodie-ym6sv Sand has pretty low thermal conductivity so it will hold onto it longer. However, that also means that its dissipation may not be fast enough to keep those plants from freezing. You'd have to do the math for your particular setup.

[@vishallama7898]

Great 👍 .Kindly make pdf having all steps 🙏

[@SimpleTek]

thank you, not interested in doing that.

[@vishallama7898]

@@SimpleTek Sir , do you give paid consultations on How to build Commercial green house in Ontario ?

[@SimpleTek]

thank you for asking, no I don't. @@vishallama7898

[@ShawnCheriYoung]

I dug a hole under my greenhouse for a 8ftx36in swimming pool... I am going to heat the water with a rocket stove...after watching this video I will add electric heater elements... I am off-grid and am already set up with solar...

[@SimpleTek]

Sounds great!

[@carladamczak9894]

I am interested in what type of immersion heater you used in the 275 IBC tank and how you controlled the temperature. I understand that the temperature of the tank should not exceed 120 F So what is your solution?

[@scottweedin7570]

I just stumbled across your channel , i to am looking for a way to heat my greenhouse economically , i like your idea of the solar panels and drums or ibc ( i have both ) my question is how would you connect the solar panel to the heating element ( which i have also , i dont throw anything away , lol ) ? Thanks

[@SimpleTek]

I’d use wires

[@marya6549]

Thinking of have solar panels charge a small solar generator so can run fan for hot houses overnight. And, recharge solar generator in day. Or having solar installed on large shed and run solar energy into greenhouse fan.

[@SimpleTek]

sounds like a good idea

[@melinda1133]

Hi I just came across your channel and I love your ideas! I was looking for a way to heat a outdoor feral cat house which led me to this video.. do you have any ideas on how to do this in a smaller scale?

[@SimpleTek]

It should scale up or down, smaller just needs more insulation

[@ancienttechnology7337]

I agree evacuated tubes are too expensive for the energy output. Larger water tanks is a great method but I think it takes more floor space than most people can afford. Also do you have any literature on how to mate up a PV panel with a correct resistance heating element?

[@SimpleTek]

Sorry I don’t do how to books

[@ancienttechnology7337]

Well this isn't as simple as it seems. Resistance can be quite tricky and without a good match the panels won't do a lot for you. I read a few papers on this but i'm no expert myself. It would be helpful to better understand how to mate a panel to a specific heating coil.

[@SimpleTek]

@@ancienttechnology7337 good point

[@CZGHEIB954]

Solar panels are good for a certain amperage and voltage. Just make sure it's a bit higher then the element. For example. A 260w panel should be 9amps at 32v. So find some dc heating element that is less then those two numbers and you're good to go. Matching them so that there is no loss from the solar panel is a bit more tricky but doable. I wonder if you can series some heating elements to make better use of the extra voltage or just find an element with higher voltage.

[@pre176]

You don't need a book. The math is insanely simple. But you can find websites about sizing a hot water element for your panels, such as for domestic hot water. But I'll give you an example anyways. A 400W panel is generally rated at about 40V and 10A. Those are pretty much fixed thresholds, you aren't going to exceed either one. So you need to pick a resistive element that utilizes those characteristics, in this case 40V/10A = 4 Ohms. That would give you the full 400W of dissipation. But let's say you chose a 10 Ohm element. Your max current would only be 4A because of the voltage limit (40V/10), which means power would only be 160W (P=I^2*R). Though it's actually worse than that because you probably aren't going to get 40V from your panel at 4A. But to keep this in the insanely simply column, for whatever your panel setup is, divide the maximum power voltage by the maximum power current and that will be your optimal thermal element resistance. So 2 in series (80V and 10A) would be 8 ohms, while 2 in parallel (40V and 20A) would be 2 ohms.

[@jswik2085]

Do you have a tutorial on how to put a heating element in the ibc tote? Thanks

[@SimpleTek]

no

[@MiscMitz]

So, I'm new to your channel, so you may have addressed this already; I'll be trying to catch up though. If you are going to use and heat IBCs, perhaps use them as Anaerobic Digesters. That way they can be used as heat AND to create fuel and liquid fertilizer. Just a thought.

[@superresistant0]

Anaerobic digesters are very hard to "control". You basically need heat first for it to function and the correct amount of nutrient every day.

[@MiscMitz]

@@superresistant0 yes. But, if the work is put in to heat it, for a little extra work, you and get free gas and liquid fertilizer too. Lol

[@superresistant0]

@@MiscMitz I know I really like the idea but my intuition tells me that I should avoid complex systems like that. There are too many reason for it to fail. The proof is that I don't see people using it. I will wait for more people doing the experiment.

[@jamesthornton4922]

What if you had an in-ground pond going down to an eight foot depth could this pond transfer the 50 degree temps from the earth to the greenhouse year round for heating and cooling? How many gallons of water would be needed for a truly passive system using the heat of the earth. Water pond under grow beds so you do not lose square footage for planting?

[@SimpleTek]

I think it would be possible!

[@williambenson3040]

I live in northern Minnesota I’m planning on putting up a 30x40 gothic high tunnel this spring. I plan on doing it hydroponic and running it year round . I am putting it on a heated slab . I am running a double layer of plastic and building 6”insulated gables a full wall on the north a 4’ wall on the south. My question is would it be beneficial to put 55 gallon barrels on the north and south wall for extra thermal mass ? I was already planning on putting my nft area on barrels of water .

[@SimpleTek]

I’d say yes if you can heat the barrels of water cheap or free

[@use_less43210]

Why in the world would you recommend using electricity to heat the water, when it would be far cheaper and far more efficient to simply heat water outside the greenhouse with the same amount of space that a solar array would take up. It would be far cheaper, even when considering the cost of "connecting" all of the drums/totes.

[@SimpleTek]

Because the cost of photovoltaic makes it economically viable

[@superresistant0]

Great idea. I would like to see someone making this build on YT and giving feedback, anyone?

[@SimpleTek]

me too

[@pcaffeldt]

Do you have a part number or Speck that you could suggest for the tank heater element

[@SimpleTek]

all depends on the solar panel system you're using. try amazon for "DC hot water elements" and you'll get lots of different options you can use. I hope that helps

[@craigsurette3438]

Why not use a passive solar hot water heater, like a Fresnel lens or hot box solar oven heater, focused on a heat exchanger to heat the water, like how some folks use for heating domestic hot water? You could heat the water during the day via sunlight and then store it in the thermal mass tanks and uncover them at night to radiate back into the greenhouse? This would heat the water using passive solar, and save you from the inefficiencies and complexities of using photovoltaics to make electricity to heat the water with

[@SimpleTek]

that might work! interesting idea

[@craigsurette3438]

@@SimpleTek Here is a design for a passive solar hot water heater from the folks at Green Power Science kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZDcmZyVm95gh5I

[@craigsurette3438]

@@SimpleTek and here is a design using a wart cooler as a heat exchanger kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaaokH13fZylr6s

[@SimpleTek]

@@craigsurette3438 very cool

[@3rdMHomes]

This is what an important greenhouse in Tamera does! The ceiling of the greenhouse has linear fresnel lenses that direct some light into reflective troughs, which focus the light onto pipes (carrying oil, I think). Plants still have light to grow, and the folks capture a great deal of solar heat. To maximize plant potential, ideally the fresnel lenses would only remove green from the incoming light, but if the lenses remove 40% (guessing) of the light, then that’s a more productive shade cloth!

[@orionx79]

There is a rod, that you would want to add i forget the name that would help keep the heating element for corroding, There are up to three present on most hot water heaters for the same reason.

[@SimpleTek]

YES, you are correct!!!!!!

[@rickvia8435]

It's called a cathodic rod and its purpose is to corrode (sacrifice) itself instead of the heating element.

[@SimpleTek]

@@rickvia8435 thank you

[@johnbaptist550]

where do you buy the heating elements that work directly with the solar output voltage?

[@SimpleTek]

Alibaba

[@steveadler4090]

What about growing tilapia ? You have to keep the water warm anyway .

[@SimpleTek]

mmmmm fish. good idea

[@robertkreiling1746]

I only need to be able to keep a green house at 42 during the winter . And then from Feb 23rd on I will need to keep it at least 54 at night . Will this work for me ?

[@SimpleTek]

Good chance it will

[@chorick2000]

How do you connect an immersion rod directly to a solar panel?

[@SimpleTek]

Good question

[@jamesalanstephensmith7930]

Would it need a voltage regulator.

[@SimpleTek]

Maybe

[@-sz8gi]

How about sand inside the barrels? Also, could there be sand on top of the soil or flooring?

[@SimpleTek]

That will work but water holds more heat upto 100’C

[@peterelliotb8279]

without any desire to offend, and I appreciate the videos to plan my geothermal greenhouse, the idea of using photovoltaics to heat water is really impressively inefficient compared to direct solar panel heating

[@SimpleTek]

You’d think that untill you factor in ROI and how much cheaper PV is now

[@pre176]

You'd think so, but it's not. While your efficiencies are much higher with direct solar, the price of solar PV is far far less and actually does better on cloudier and colder days. Solar PV comes out ahead once you consider the additional factors and infrastructure you need for direct solar. This has been tested...look up David Poz.

[@user713Blvd]

Thanks for sharing your great idea for heating a greenhouse. FYI, I used to live in Omaha, Nebraska and bought some food grade IBC totes and seller cleaned the totes and selling at $60 per tote. But after moved to northern of AZ, the food grade IBC tote is selling at $180 - $220 per tote. This is absolutely over price. The reason we are using food grade IBC totes because we can use this water to water the plants in the greenhouse as well. If anyone in the channel know where to get good grade IBC totes for lower price, please share your info i would great appreciate it.

[@SimpleTek]

All prices went crazy after the pandemic. Thank you for the comment

[@johnpiek2750]

How do you plan to keep safe the risk of freeze up of the water heat storage tank?

[@SimpleTek]

this works till you notice the water in the tank get to about 10'C - at that point you need to make a decision, either add additional power at night from the grid to a water heater element or a windmill. maybe both where grid only kicks in when there's no wind and not enough heat from the sun

[@jamesparks6137]

RV antifreeze is labeled as non toxic, would take quite a bit I suspect though.

[@SimpleTek]

@@jamesparks6137 better than freezing though.

[@ianpottinger1742]

What are the best ways to eliminate/reduce bio growth in the water in the tanks?

[@jswik2085]

Paint them black

[@SimpleTek]

yep

[@battab178]

I love your videos! But where on gods green earth are you getting ibc totes for $50!!???

[@SimpleTek]

Before the pandemic, it’s about $100 now

[@lylestavast7652]

go watch a video about Rondo energy's battery design. same concept using electric/element but heating mass intended to be used in furnace situations.... I read years ago about a guy who just filled drums with steel off-cuts and used them with an element...

[@SimpleTek]

Very cool

[@Tom-Travels]

Hi everyone. I need a suggested video or a comment on a water drip system to drip water on my 5,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner coils. Initially, I plan to fill a lidded 5 gallon bucket with tap water and put a small spigot with a drip going into the top of the A.C unit. but, first, I plan to seal off the bottom pan of the AC, with silicone so that the water will have to be blown through the coils when the AC runs. It's so dry here that no water from condensation is splashed on the coils, like a lot of little AC's, are designed to do. This AC keeps my bedroom at 69F (20C) and the rest of my tiny house no hotter than 85F when it is 100F outside. - It's a great little AC unit that I've had about 8 years. I originally bought it for $110 back then from Walmart. - I don't like to run my whole house AC system. It is too expensive. In June, my electric bill was $107. But, this month (July) we have had 23 days over 100F. Thank you so much for your kind response, Tom in Oklahoma (Home of the Sooners!)

[@chucksul4350]

Even simpler and cheaper would be solar hot water heater and use a small low wattage circulating pump

[@SimpleTek]

Maybe, but photovoltaic has gotten soo cheap that used to be true but not anymore in some cases

[@UseThink]

They aint got plenty of water in Africaz!!!!!!!! Also they dont need greenhouses there. Haha love your vids anyhow greetings from Namibie

[@SimpleTek]

Cheers from Manitoba Canada!

[@EmilNicolaiePerhinschi]

how about a solar water heater, no photovoltaics ? :)

[@SimpleTek]

ok

[@WeGotJamWellness]

Are the IBC tanks stackable?

[@SimpleTek]

Good question, empty yes but I don’t know when full.

[@joshuapersaud1659]

low the video. Have you ever looked into a sand battery for heat. Its pretty intereting idea

[@SimpleTek]

I have a video on sand batteries in my archives- from a few years ago

[@bgoldre]

Please explain how to connect solar to the heating element?

[@ShawnCheriYoung]

The solar panel is connected to the charge controller; the charge controller is hooked to the battery; the battery is hooked to the inverter; the heating element is hooked to a plug and plugged into the inverter...

[@SimpleTek]

Shawn replied before I could get to this, he's correct

[@namaefumei]

Where r u man? Are u ok?

[@SimpleTek]

I'll post a new video very soon

[@mrbizi5652]

Nice but why not leverage a heat pump as well?

[@SimpleTek]

Heat pumps use a lot of electricity and are expensive

[@mrbizi5652]

@@SimpleTek hmm that’s not what my data shows. Are you just saying this method is “less expensive “ ?

[@SimpleTek]

@@mrbizi5652 less moving parts

[@SFdd-sk2hx]

how are you doing? you haven not uploaded a long time

[@SimpleTek]

just published a new one for Wednesday morning!!!!!!

[@ramiroaka9]

Have you tried salt water in those barrels?

[@SimpleTek]

No?

[@ramiroaka9]

@@SimpleTek kzbin.info/www/bejne/sICVYmhpmK-CiKssi=gsvrVd2I9KAXpwum

[@samscrumpet8318]

Coco needs cookies!

[@SimpleTek]

Both Coco and Chunky NEED cookies!!!!

[@MARS-GREENH0USE]

Good guy good guy

[@SimpleTek]

Wags tail

[@bodyzoasispersonaltraining9186]

Im thinking a ferro cement tank. Even cheaper

[@SimpleTek]

what's ferro cement?

[@Jkauppa]

hey, try floating balloon wavt shaped wind turbine on a pipe axle to ground generator (both solar and wind large balloon collector, similar to a heat pump field but in a simple hot air plastic balloon, feed starter hot air up the pipe, have a second pipe to extract cold/hot air down), you get the idea, can use even a car charger as the pipe axle down generator, 4-point tether if you want the balloon to stay absolutely upright and not wonder around, public domain no restrictions no royalties no obligations anyone can use

[@Jkauppa]

only has a simple air/heat pump (like a water pump) in the up-down 2x pipes, can be combined with a heat pump which is down at ground

[@Jkauppa]

yep the size advantage as a simple balloon, no construction required, only the ground mounting of the generator pipe axle tether point, like putting a flag pole in place, the anchor

[@Jkauppa]

combo electric/heat collection generation system, even rain water collection alongside the vawt generator balloon, down alongside the tube

[@Jkauppa]

oh and diy ZnBr gravity battery at about 80WWh/kg, similar to lead acid, both Zn and Br are available from sea salt easily, or heat storage to sand/CaO (from Ca(OH)2), used by pushing water in the collector material

[@Jkauppa]

so why do you need to get price for anything, for your services, cant you be actually off-grid, on your own

[@blackdaan]

Solar collectors have higher efficiency. My 2 panels can get 1 installed easily at 40 whole winter (netherlands climate zone 7) I am thinking of a big underground water storage and making a huge collector. (I Have done allot of crazy stuff)

[@pre176]

higher efficiency, yes. But far far higher in price once you factor in all the piping, pumps, tanks, etc. That eats up all your efficiency benefits, and more. Also, the Netherlands isn't exactly a sunny location, particularly in winter. Solar collectors underperform PV in such conditions.

[@wadebrewer7212]

Windows key + ";" gives you access to the degree symbol. FYI. lemding this infor your thumbnail and who ever wants it. Lol.

[@SimpleTek]

I use a Mac

[@markus_selloi]

If it is 100 sqft per one of those things, then that would make it about a quarter of the space just for the water. Scaling up would mean alot more space that is needed, so that would drive up the cost alot. But I think we can use some barrels on the north side (about 30m) and use thermal solar + PV as a backup. We only want to stay above freezing for the most part anyways, and if we just have one barrel (maybe a second one dug in about 50%) then I can get my Passiflora climbing up there with no problem. Mixing this and the other ways we want to heat will definitely make it even more efficient. Have a good one!

[@SimpleTek]

an IBC tote is 12-14 sq feet, not sure about your math but that's not a 1/4 of the space, more like 6-10%.

[@markus_selloi]

@@SimpleTek I was just guessing, but 10% more area needed for the greenhouse is in most circumstances a heck ton. Like, the most expensive thing about greenhouses is the surface area. In our case that would cost like an extra 100k, which takes a while to save in on

[@mkeyx82]

@@markus_selloi Your greenhouse total expenditure was 1M USD?

[@markus_selloi]

@@mkeyx82 it will be a little more because of the tech i think. My friend does his PhD at the moment and his dissertation will be about luminescent pv and all of that which I don't understand. I am just here for the vegetation lmao

[@SimpleTek]

@@markus_selloi is it lost though? You can put things on top of the totes, and higher up is better at the back of the greenhouse, more sunlight

[@the_nondrive_side]

gravitricity.

[@SimpleTek]

Ok

[@the_nondrive_side]

@@SimpleTek pump the water into a tower..

[@SimpleTek]

@@the_nondrive_side ok

[@gillespie77]

Instead of water, what about creating sand batteries in the IBC totes? There are multiple possible variants, here's a reference link for consideration: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5TEmmmFhK6baK8

[@SimpleTek]

Good idea

[@pre176]

What's the melting point of IBC plastic?