Aleksandar
HOW TO ALIGN YOUR GREENHOUSE WITH THE SUN.
The easiest way that I know of to properly align your green house with the sun is the Sundial method.
Install a round stick into the ground and make sure that it is standing vertically level.
Then visit the weather channel (www.weather.com) and search for your zip code or location.
Click the Hourly weather tab and near the bottom of the page will be a picture similar to this showing the Solar noon of your location.
At the exact time of your Solar Noon mark the ground where the shadow falls.
This is the angle the sun will be at Solar Noon all year. It will be lower in the sky all winter and higher in the sky all summer, but it will always be at this angle at solar noon for that day.
Draw a line at a right angle to your shadow line. This second line will likely give you the best location for your greenhouse regarding the suns location. The line you draw will be a east -west line.
If you are standing on that line with the sun setting on your right, then your are facing South. Aligning your greenhouse with the widest side facing south generally gives you the greatest amount of winter sun.
If your location requires you to adjust the greenhouse to a different angle, adjust it to the southeast to catch as much springtime sun as possible.
Your greenhouse should receive the maximum amount of winter sunlight available at your location.
Now consider the shadows cast by existing structures and trees, and move your location east or west to your best advantage to avoid winter time shadows .
However, you may want to grow apple trees or any other kind of deciduous trees that will shade the greenhouse in the summer, and then lose their leaves in the winter and allow in winter sun.
You may also consider engineering the angle of the roof for catching the maximum amount of the sun’s rays in the winter with the least amount of loss by reflection.
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