Don Jianyi of Freshpal Farm in Olds, AB, Canada, discusses passive solar greenhouse design.
Rural Routes to Climate Solutions
Passive Solar Greenhouse Webinar
Aleksandar
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28 Comments
Hi, Thank you for sharing! Very informative. I like your model and planning to build a smaller passive g/h in my back garden as a hobby in the UK. Our minimum temperature during the coldest months can be – 7 degrees. I’ve got few qs:
1. What kind of thickness of back wall should be for our climate?
2. Do I need to insulate 2 side walls?
Many thanks!
Would it be possible to fill the back wall with sand rather than clay ?
Wow, what a beautiful lady ! Also, thank you for your video.
Great Video. Thermal Blanket is great. A few thoughts;
Why not strawbale for the back wall?
I'm wondering, for improvements;
-Underground heating/cooling airtubs?
-What about using dark water bottles/rocks near plants in winter for additional thermal storage?
FYI, there are no climate solutions. Mankind's impact on the environment is measurable but not exactly significant compared to the sun's. Look up Ice Age Farmer and Oppenheimer Ranch Project for information that's miles ahead of the nonsense spouted by the government and media.
Good work for Jianyi Dong (董健毅)! Even better news that back in the 1980's Canadian inventor had demonstrated a much better and easier way to double glazing greenhouses. Check PyraPOD.com for more information. Our greenhouses are not passive, they are proactive and use soap liquid bubbles to do the magic work rather than the bulky blanket that there is no use for summer time. Richard and I are working on a plan to convert existing China style passive greenhosues.
This will be needed since it looks like the AMOC has stopped. Global warming causes glacial maximums…Let's just hope the ice shields don't bury the north.
Thank you!
Chinese hardly, I designed this style greenhouse several decades ago using duel truss mechanics with the inside 16' berm wall being a full growing shelf wall and 80' of floor space from the berm wall to the outside lower edge of the roof truss system. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Is this design applicable to areas with hot summers – up to 45C and moderate Winters (worst case -10C).
Very interesting !! I think it is gonna be a great opportunity for Alberta to offset imports from US and Mexico. I like backyard vegetable gardenning in Calgary. Since 3 year, I have been planting more than enough leafy vegetable and little bit of tomatoes needed for my family during summer. …Possibilty is there even for winter. Thanks for sharing !!
Very interesting thank you
really interesting and hopefully will be used by more. I don't think thought that this is what is called a "passive" technology. In passive houses, there is no heat loss, because it's air tight and special windows, doors are used. This greenhouse does have a heat loss and would need heating to be able to grow veggies year around.
Thank you ! This greenhouse is a great design.
do you reuse any of the drip line and plastic mulch ? You must have one long handle on your snow rake!!!! Is the clay packed in your wall ?Tks
My only concerns, after the snow loads etc is the wind and hail resistance of these.
If I had land, I’d love one of these!!!
This year I am building a below grade submerged passive solar greenhouse with geothermal & compost heating in central Alberta.
Thank you for this video.
DO YOU HAVE A BUDGET FOR 1 PIECE AND WHAT IS THE COST OF ADDITIONAL UNITS. VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU WOULD SHARE SUCH TECHNOLPGY.
The key to better food in Canada in the winter isn't just passive, but passive design WITH a cheap heating solution. By doing that I believe we can change where most of our food comes from.
Great webinar! Thank you for posting it.
Hi. Do you think it would be possible to grow citrus in a greenhouse like that? Thanks and greetings from Germany.
I really apreciate your efforts and then putting it out there! What’s specially great is that I also live in Alberta! So often the things I watch are not directly comparable at all! Where in Alberta are you located? I’d love to come compliment you in person some time.? Also the questionevery one wants to ask but are to polite is roughly speaking what was the material cost? You mentioned that it took a season? To construct for two people that haven’t done it before? I like the idea of doing one but I have less desire to be a gardener! I just like designing and engineering ideas and making/building things trouble shooting along the way. This all seems very interesting to me! I have several ideas.. Thanks again
World-class design and presentation. Wet snow might be awkward to remove or support, even with the vibrator. Overall cost of the Alberta setup?
This is great genius technology. And so proud of my schoolmate Jinyi!
Interesting. You're already doing a better job of addressing sustainable solutions than the government of Canada…
Very impressive design. And very well adapted to the Canadian climate. Looking forward to build one in Quebec very soon.
I think the roll down curtain is fantastic. Can you tell me about the thermal curtain you are using? What kind of material and where did you get it from? thank you
If one were to add LED lights couldn't you extend the tomatoes for the whole season?