HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-04-16, Page 41u
Build greenhouse to store solar energy
By Doug Ormrod
Department of
Horticultural Science
University of
Guelph
When the sun shines on a
greenhouse, quantities of
solar energy are trapped,
and most gardeners open the
ventilators or switch on a fan
to get rid of the waste heat.
Why waste it? Capture-itin-a
storage unit and use it to
heat the greenhouse at night,
or to help heat your house.
We have developed an
attractive home greenhouse
over a heat sotrage unit. It
has come through its first
year successfully. Precise
energy savings " have not
been calculated, and vary in
any case with the weather,
but the greenhouse has
proven to be an absorbing
hobby providing interest,
enjoyment and a steady
supply of salad vegetables.
The above -ground portion
is illustrated in the
_photograph. The ,_design
includes several essential
features. The door opens
onto a closed breezeway to
prevent sudden heat loss - a
small enclosed 'air lock'
porch would serve the same
purpose. The entire struc-
ture is double -glazed glass;
in thiscase to preserve the
view from the window in the
house behind. All wood
members are cedar, for rot
resistance and good in-
sulation value. The walls are
insulated with styrofoam.
The structure is sealed
thoroughly with caulking
compound, and even the
ventilators are sealed.
through the winter":. A fan
removes_ the heat to the
storage unit, so the ven-
tilators are not•needed until
late spring.
The unique part of this
structure is a full basement
peeked floor -to -ceiling with
water -filled containers
(glass, metal or plastic -
anything in fact that can be
scrounged from neighbours
and friends). This basement
has a standard concrete floor
and concrete block walls,
insulated on the outside with
5 -centimetre (2 -inch)
styrofoam sheets.
Be sure the sheets are well
protected on the outside with•
tar to frustrate the mice,
who will otherwise demolish
the styrofoam in a few years.
The walls and water -filled
containers store the heat of
several sunny days ef-
fectively, and release it as
needed.
A large fan (barn exhaust
Wise old,
tasty sage
"Eat sage in Ma▪ y, and
you'll live forever," the En-
glish have been saying ever
since the herb was first intro-
duced by the Romaris, who
borrowed it from the Greeks.
Though you may .prefer to
grow old more gracefully
than ye olde English, you
cant deny that the use. of
sage makes a remarkable dif-.
ference in cooking.
With its strong and pun-
gent flavor, it should be used
very sparingly to enhance the
flavor of poultry. veal, stews
and stuffings..
Sage can be grown easily in
your own backyard, started
from' seed, from stem cut-
tings. or by dividing mature
clumps in the spring, accord-
ing to the Ortho hook
"When the Good Cook Gar-
dens."
AI•l you need is well -
drained soil, full sunlight,
and .a minimal amount of -wa-
ter; -since-over=waterikig-m-ay._..
cause mildew. You can pick
sage leaves anytime before,
during or after bloom.
And, don't forget to keep
some around for May just
in case the English are right.
fan) is mounted on the floor
over a plenum chamber with
a pegboard wall. The heated
air is blown down from the
greenhouse Into the plenum
chamber, through the holes
in the Pegboard wall across
the entire cross-section of
the basement, into a' similar
plenum chamber at the other
end. Having given up its heat
in thestorage area, the-airis
forced up through vents in
the greenhouse floor. The
large fan is thermostat
controlled to start when the
temperature rises to about 25
C (78 F).
Another thermostat
operates a smaller fan
(kitchen exhaust fan) which
blows air into the same
plenum chamber when the
temperature falls to about 10
C. (5._F). Another small fan,
controlled by the same
thermostat , as the barn
exhaust fan, delivers warm
air to the adjacent house on
sunny winter days.
To supplement the -heating
during long periods of dull
weather, a small thermostat -
controlled fan blows warm
air from the adjacent house
into the greenhouse. Finally,
a small electric heater
comes on if the temperature
approaches 7 Cop (45 F).
Plants in the greenhouse
are grown in containers.
Large pots around the
perimeter hold tomato
plants (garden cultivars,
pruned and staked).
Hanging baskets (round
plastic dish pans, each held
by "3 lengths of 1A" nylon
rope) hold bunching onions,
parsley, chives, herbs,
spinach, Swiss chard, and
weekly plantings _ of leaf
lettuce and radishes (also
garden cultivars). Although
Page 11 •
we have concentrated on
salad vegetable production,
others may., prefer or-
namentals.
The greenhouse makes an attractive addition to the house. It is also very productive,
supplying fresh -salad vegetables all winter long. The solar storage below the green-
house makes it possible to collect sunlight in the daytime for use in the greenhouse at
night. The extra heat can also be used to supplement heat inside the house proper.
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