Passive Solar Greenhouse Technology From China?

Passive Solar technology has been around for decades in China because of their need to feed a large populations through cold winters. Rob talks to Jianyi who runs his Chinese passive solar greenhouses in Alberta to figure out how these work and explore what year-round commercial growing can look like.
If you're interested in Passive Solar Greenhouse content, we've got a Webinar on February 28th where we go in depth about how these work and what goes into creating one for yourself. Whether you're a home owner or a professional builder, we believe anyone can design a Passive solar greenhouse for themselves!
If you're ready to build a life changing greenhouse, Register for the course at: vergepermacult...
Jianyi: ‪@dongjianyi2492‬

[@thehazelnutspread]

I've seen Jianyi's video a couple of years ago on his Chinese greenhouse. It completely changed what I had planned to build. I'm glad I saw it. Great job. To those who want to save some money on thermal blankets, I'm using the orange thermal blankets that are used for concrete. Nice and light too.

[@ensatlantic]

Amazing greenhouse. Such a thoughtful design and a very humble owner.

[@1800imawake]

Yes, it is an amazing design with lots of room to grow. With the shape of those greenhouses, a roof vent electric turbine would generate nice power in windy Alberta. There is also a new semi-transparent film solar panel that can be placed over greenhouses.

[@surunitemiakanni-oye4346]

He is not that humble. Check his Chinese language channel and see his boasting and arrogance about Chinese made stuff and attitudes.

[@paulingram1627]

About time this guy got noticed. Well done.

[@ririshow]

This guy knows a thing or two about growing tomatoes in a greenhouse! He is smart and goes right to the point! I like it very much! Thank you.

[@timwildauer5063]

My uncle is building an almost passive greenhouse. You can use the ground under the greenhouse as a thermal battery. If you go down a few feet, the temperature is a perfect growing temperature year round. All you need is a fan to move that air around to keep the greenhouse warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

[@jichaelmorgan3796]

That's beautiful. I'm trying to figure out how to grow in the Florida summer

[@matthewswan1266]

I'm considering doing the same thing. I'm near Toronto ontario. Only 50'×12'. But grow food for the family

[@MonsieurDecent]

Hello, 董菜菜 ! ! ! 敬祝您全家 新年快樂 ! ! ! 恭禧發財 ! ! ! 😊❤

[@Universalhealing-bo3ir]

He is rich ❤ & knowledge

[@catg714]

I've been out to visit Jianyi... love his set up! Bought some of his seedlings & they worked out great in my garden. Nice fella & gave my friend and I some awesome advice! And also.. it was -28 celsius outside when we went & when we stepped inside the greenhouse we hand to un-layer quite quickly!

[@13ccasto]

Boy I would LOVE to see a yearlong graph of the daily high, low, and avg temperatures in an unheated Chinese-style passive solar greenhouse!

[@skrywenko6596]

I built several a decade ago in Manitoba . though mine is a bit different shape to take advantage of snow loading on the glazing to act as added insulating blanket during the winter ( google- krywenko greenhouse) , but the same principle. in my climate of hardiness zone of 2b @ lat of +51 . they stay above zero usually until mid dec. then they cool off fairly quickly as it get closer to the winter solstice. and usually for 2 weeks the green house will stay below -5C in the beginning weeks of January until the sun intensity increases enough to start warming the air faster then it can escape through the glazing . then by mid February early March it can remain above zero 24/7 . but by the spring equinox you are good to go. I use my Chinese style green house to grow peaches and nectarines for myself and my family in Manitoba . and I adjusted so does not retain to much heat. as i have built ones that mimic hardiness zone +9. but I had issues of my fruit trees blossoming in mid January to early February . but due to the lack of light they would just sit in bloom until mid march. so i adjust down so now they mimic hardiness zone 6. and the trees bloom in March/April.. which is closer to what they would do in Nature . so i get better fruit production and really when the sun intensity support growth

[@13ccasto]

That's fantastic - thanks for sharing your experience! Avoiding 0C for most of the year unheated is a great accomplishment!@@skrywenko6596

[@13ccasto]

Fascinating - thanks for sharing! I tried to search Krywenko GH on google and found an old forum posting of yours on Open Energy Monitor - super interesting stuff! Hoping to build a passive solar GH of my own one day!@@skrywenko6596

[@johnmcneal9477]

The beauty of Mr Jianyi system is how well it works without adding expensive supplemental heat. The key points that make his system work so well is the AMOUNT of winter sun he receives in his area and his ability to absorb the excess heat into the back wall and ground. The effective conservation of that absorbed heat through his roll down insulation is amazing and yet so simple. I would be interested in hearing how well the scavenging of the heat from his generator is going along with the bitcoin mining end of things. We farm in Alaska, mostly tomatoes, and when I first read about his incredible operation a few years back I researched every aspect of doing something like this here at our place. Unfortunately, our reality is that we just don't have enough sun and have way to much cloud cover during our long winters to make this work for us this far north. But..... this is future for year round veggie production in cold climates with good sunny winter days.

[@hamadilawson7634]

I was actually thinking if this was a viable option for Alaska?

[@theuglykwan]

@@hamadilawson7634 i'm in scotland and doubt it is viable here. too little light winter.

[@justgeneric2876]

Wind is probably the best suited energy for Scotland, trap the heat, self contained environment.

[@Jocimgh]

There is a family that built a green house in Mongolia that is relying on an underground heating battery. If they can extend the season anyone can. In areas where the sun is the limit it isn’t very expensive to ad extra light during the dark period. The place where it will be a really challenge is where you don’t have any sun and at the same time it is very cold.

[@AKu-xs5vg]

It's perfect for cold sunny places like Dongbei and Mongolia, and North America Not European

[@wr6293]

Saw these style of greenhouse on my first trip to China around 1995. They used rolled grass layer to roll down during night to prevent heat loss. This design is notched up and less labor intensive but the idea is still brilliant. Liked it back then and hope it gains popularity as it helps reducing the need to extensive use of burning oil or gas to heat the building.

[@niklar55]

Eventually it WILL be necessary to burn fossil fuels to feed CO2 into greenhouses. .

[@greggreg2263]

Very interesting this is the first time I heard about the special greenhouses I really like them🇨🇦

[@garymccallum4152]

I've been building passive solar homes with attached greenhouses since 1981. I will not build a personal home any other way for the simple fact that it works for the life of the structure at no cost.

[@lhoffbauer]

Where are you building

[@garymccallum4152]

@@lhoffbauer B.C. in western Canada

[@The-North]

Any videos?

[@edeancozzens3833]

I'd like to learn from you to attach a greenhouse to my existing home. How can I contact you?

[@mkuc6951]

very good Jianyi ! love to see a build video

[@zmblion]

I wish the world could get along everyone has something to teach someone but stigmas or government propaganda push everyone to trust noone its sad. Make peace not war. This dude is great

[@SK-lt1so]

I wish illegitimate despots would leave free people alone and that despotic sycophants would not excuse their crimes.

[@jobe8764]

The central banks and WEF are pure evil. Elected politicians are just bought off.

[@Sacredview]

Governments love to make us fight or not trust each other Makes them more powerful

[@baskorjuli2010]

Tell that to military industrial complex

[@isokiller2346]

Can definitely relate

[@lithiusx]

I've seen him several times, I would love to visit his farm and check his Chinese style greenhouses out.

[@WendyDussault]

Wow I am very impressed and thank you for bring this technology to our area, province and country!!!

[@mio.giardino]

This is the greenhouse I want when I get land. ❤

[@rhokdatroll]

Great video, I would like to see a construction deep dive to get into details of the back wall materials, wall construction and blanket furler/material

[@TinMan445]

Clay backfill, and insulated blanket… he explained

[@winsonong160]

First time to see such greenhouse technology exist for growing fruits even in winter.👍👍👍

[@stickynorth]

Brilliant! This man should be the Canadian version of Johnny Appleseed but bringing fresh fruit and veg to every town and city from sea to sea to sea!

[@erinfulton9770]

This is also how they are geo engineering our weather. Chem trails, contrail, forest fires, anything that creates a blanket in our atmosphere keeps heat out just as well as it does keeping it in. Watch your weather patterns.

[@katiegreene3960]

So awesome to see yangi still at it... I spoke with him a few year ago now about his project ...so cool

[@belieftransformation]

Great video; thanks for sharing! I watched your older videos when you highlighted all the different cold weather growers & am intrigued by the amount of work he & his wife did to build the huge wall by hand! I’m looking forward to seeing more. 🤗

[@Snerdles]

I think I like the Arktopia design with the overhang that protects half the greenhouse from over heating in the summer, but captures more of the light in winter months.

[@theuglykwan]

i do too but that is way more expensive.

[@COCCOMOJOE]

The Chinese one is more for commercial use. Arktopia is a one of a kind custom made.

[@redsunsmr284]

Arktopia way too expensive and hobby grade custom only. Jianyi's is what I would choose if I wanted to make money.

[@Eden639]

Great idea! Being done in China for decades, he said. We could apply this principle to housing and save in heating bills.

[@kerrryschultz2904]

It is already done in different parts of the world. It's a modified earth ship designed by Mike Reynolds. Another alternative is a super insulated home with a deep mass sand bed. In Sweden a company called Polar Nights Energy is utilizing a very large, well insulated area that contains sand and pipes. The sand is heated by wind or solar in the summer to 600 degrees C. That heat can be stored for months. Air is blown thru the pipes when energy is needed and that superheated air goes thru a heat exchanger to heat water to steam pressure which runs a turbine to produce electricity. The waste heat is used to heat buildings. There is currently a system in place that provides heat and power for about 350,000 people. On a smaller scale in cold climates pumping heat into an insulated foundation under a home has great potential.

[@DT__1]

This is perfect all I can add is divide all to six sections and u’ll be able to plant and harvest EVERY MONTH. It’s al year round , use it! Everyday fresh !😊

[@MrLiaojerry]

Dong CaiCai, just surfed through Utube, was pleasantly surprised to see you and your farm here in this channel!

[@catherinedutilleul4208]

Fantastic ! Thank you ... from Brussel where farmes are actually protesting .... ☺

[@SP-ez4lk]

Excellent video. Would greatly appreciate more details on this cold-climate greenhouse. Please create second video to explain: 1. Is the 2nd poly (inner) layer only erected in winter season, then removed in summer? 2. That layer appears to be open at the last top meter, is that to give access to operate the insulation blanket? 3. Does closing the insulated blanket at night create significant frost buildup on the interior face of the outer poly layer? (reduced temp of cavity between poly layers would drop space to below dewpoint) 4. What material was selected for insulation blanket? 5. Details of snow vibrators? 6. It appears that a shading canopy was up, is this kept up all winter?

[@MsdebinBC]

Wow wonderful👍🥰 these are needed in the Yukon and Anivak, and NWT would give jobs and food for Canadians 🥰👍

[@paulmaxwell8851]

Say what you like about the Chinese and their repressive government. They are geniuses in the greenhouse technology field, and we have a LOT to learn from them. Jianyi is doing the impossible (to us) in a very challenging climate and I tip my hat to him. Very, very ambitious!

[@PablitoSroczynski]

Veeeeery inspiring! Thank you for making it Rob ❤

[@charlesvangorkom3628]

I am so great full to learn that Canadians can grow food year around!!

[@heartobefelt]

Awesome work Jianyi , simple and efficient . thanks for sharing xie xie ni

[@parttimethinker7611]

We all benefit greatly by learning from solutions others already have.

[@10lauset]

He did a video on KZbin a fews years ago. Nice to see his success. Cheers.

[@ChickieNobs]

i am so happy to see this video! I live SE of Calgary and have heard about these greenhouses, and always wished i could hear more about them. I am wanting to market garden on my property, so thank you for doing this interview!

[@aleksitjvladica.]

Mister Dong is of a funny family name, but the most I want to point out is he voice, very appealing to me.

[@MPHammy98]

This is such a spectacular idea. I would love to learn more about this style of greenhouse

[@gustavoandrade4710]

wow ! super ! thanks for share !

[@MsdebinBC]

Now he should be given a governor generals award for this this helps man kind 🥰🥰 👍 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@burgienl]

This is a very good solution for a very specific situation. You need a lot of sunny days otherwise you won't have heat. And you need a lot of space because with this design you can't build greenhouses next to each other. Also because you don't burn a fuel for heat, you don't have CO2 to inject into the greenhouse. Meaning plants grow slower and you produce less per square meter. So this solution is perfect in certain locations for smaller scale farming, but it won't work on a grand scale for mass food production.

[@vastthinker3427]

Nice job. They've been doing it in Wyoming for decades this is not a new technology but it looks like he's perfected it. This would be good for the future if more people applied to science

[@paulmaxwell8851]

No, the Wyoming greenhouses are not like this at all. I've seen them, and they are well thought out but not in the same league. The Northern Chinese greenhouses are in a class all their own, and this IS a new technology perfected there over many decades. Here on the lower mainland of British Columbia we have acres and acres of conventional commercial greenhouses heated by natural gas, and the owners would like the taxpayers to pay their gas bills!

[@fx622b]

brilliant and inspiring ! This has earned an instant subscription

[@Liber8d]

Brilliant! Nice job and continued success!

[@jonathanbartsch2938]

Impressive! Well done!

[@steveciarico9824]

Great video!! 💪👍

[@heatherburton]

Ingenious! Way to grow!

[@paulmaloney7074]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful design and some numbers!

[@homesteadtech1686]

Nice Rob, Staying on the front edge of passive Solar!

[@philippelacaille4382]

THAT'S AMAZING !!!!!!

[@overcheats4518]

"build it my self with my wife" wow.. thats a real couple hats off to you too !

[@mireillealbert]

Fascinating!

[@craigduddles5650]

Excited to see this greenhouse tech! Want to make where I live in Vermont!

[@clintonelias171]

There should be a thousand of these greenhouses where there is only 2 in Alberta, especially in the north.

[@tpartisupporter]

Wow ! Simple but amaing ! Thanks for sharing.

[@Elfunko99x]

Wow, this is best video ive seen on chinese greenhouses yet. Lots of info, especially what seems to be the most modern/cost effective methods. Ty

[@jamesbettyanderson5006]

Very good, thank you for sharing!

[@Dr.IrinaValentin]

Smart! Thank you for sharing

[@suzannebinsley5940]

That was amazing!!❤❤

[@cisco5400]

Great idea and technology

[@patrickschooley3503]

So Awesome!!!

[@coalroller9482]

Amazing thank you

[@jpwillm5252]

Bravo !

[@dne50]

Excellent video. Thanks

[@braptdl1483]

Thanks so much! I learned so much

[@philipm3173]

Wow very inspiring!

[@Sulayman.786]

Awesome!

[@dnawormcastings]

Well done I think other farmers should learn of people like him how to safe big money farming vegetables ect🇳🇿

[@slamrock17]

I want one. The heat blanket on the inside is something i havent seen yet very nice.

[@veganismyname]

Note that in the southern hemisphere you'd want the vertical wall facing south and the transparent facing northward toward the sun.

[@samzchang]

好样的, 董菜菜！支持你！加油！也欢迎到安大略省来推广！

[@quantafreeze]

Very cool. Thank you

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Wow, smart.

[@Johny40Se7en]

Very clever and thoughtful.

[@gogro3322]

Such a great idea ✅

[@timmmmmmmmmmy1]

Color me impressed 😊 👍👍

[@jasonlightfoot4145]

This would be great for our farm in Southern Colorado, the San Luis Valley is in desperate need of tech like this.

[@proudcanadian1837]

Cool tech! I would like to do it at a property on a smaller scale to start and see how it all goes.

[@joshchance749]

I would love to know more about the availability of the structure, what supplemental heating and light systems are used, and how to build the structure. I run a 4 acre vegetable farm in Montana, USA. With about a half acre of high tunnels and greenhouses. The low night temperatures in the winter (regularly below 0 degrees and as low as -40 degrees) makes it nearly impossible to grow anything in the winter without a ridiculous fuel bill. I Enjoyed the video and would love to see more!

[@NotSureJoeBauers]

I've seen him before on KZbin, I believe he has a very small channel subscriber wise but he's had one of the videos showing the passive solar greenhouse go viral. Definitely a very cheap way to put up a lot of infrastructure. A farmer could do well on a small plot with a growing area like that. I wonder if they are still 100k after the last few years of hyperinflation.

[@losclaveles]

Do you know if he's shared the plans anywhere?

[@NotSureJoeBauers]

Its a kit from China so the plans would be somewhat irrelevant @@losclaveles

[@justgeneric2876]

It’s built regularly in Spain, costs much more to build in Europe. The wind destroy them often and the profits are from economy of scale.

[@wheeltwavel]

This is great, we need food sustainability. If a country can't feed itself, nothing else matters.

[@rossmackintosh7683]

I have started to design a small 7m x 10m greenhouse like this based on what I have found on internet. Not built yet. Want to learn more. This was great to see!

[@peaceofmindrestoration11]

Good video. Starting operations in Missouri.

[@michaelboom7704]

Really interesting style of greenhouse! I guess my little home made set up could receive a upgrade, lol.

[@Calibike]

Amazing

[@gerardguy9830]

Impressive

[@rwally3able]

Very nice, Thankyou!!!!!!!

[@TechnoGlobalist]

Nice my new home

[@fouckyuen]

certainly sounds like its well suited to the near-polar latitudes where the sun is mainly on the one side all year round. its the right solution for the right location.

[@myphonyaccount]

Thank you China.

[@wpok101]

I could grow a ton of weed in that bad boy! Looks great man cant wait to hear more

[@letsboogie4408]

This is awesome

[@katiegreene3960]

Two other types of heating I would like to see perfected and commercialized to add to greenhouses like this would be geothermal air and compost heat.

[@cupbowlspoonforkknif]

This is a form of geothermal but is probably better named a climate battery. He's pumping hot air during the day into his clay wall to store heat that then radiates out at night. In some ways it's way better than conventional geothermal because you don't have to drill super deep or trench outwards hundreds of feet like Citrus in the Snow guy. Plus, in this location the soil freezes very deeply so geothermal trenches would be more expensive than warmer zones.

[@johnmcneal9477]

In our northern climate, the minimum upper depth of our septic and water systems is 10 ft. We have approximately 12,000 sq ft of high tunnels. The install and operating costs to build a functioning geothermal system does not pencil out for us at all. @@cupbowlspoonforkknif i

[@johnmcneal9477]

We raise cows and other life stock and we have experimented with several types of compost heat over the years. We garden in over 12,000 ft of high tunnels. Two issues with this, it is VERY labor intensive to make and maintain a proper compost pile and it is impossible to make compost outside under the snow and then transfer heat to the growing beds. It very difficult and hard to generate a reliable system that wont fail you during the really cold winter months. AKA, frozen plants. Compost releases a lot of moisture and if you try to do that inside of the facility you need to vent out the moisture and there goes the direct heat gains. Spending five bucks to save a buck is a dead end business practice for small farms.

[@katiegreene3960]

@@johnmcneal9477 did you use air tubes or liquid for heat transfer ?

[@katiegreene3960]

@cupbowlspoonforkknif is don't remember if he had pipes in the back wall or just from Radiant heat ?

[@thomasto9653]

Very interesting

[@Steelers4life20]

Beautiful

[@kylerollheiser5694]

This is pretty cool

[@pgffemt5895]

Awesome!

[@ronineidolon]

This was a wonderful video. Thank you for sharing your experience with us! I would love to visit your farm were it feasible.

[@janetbecker4282]

I am interested in this for my home gardening. I would love to attach to the south side of my house for the benefits.