All About Solar Greenhouses



Posted: Wednesday, January 05, 2011

by lorien1973
Online Discount Mart Home & Garden Decor

Gardening and crop growing have always been popular activities in many parts of the world. Some people maintain a garden or grow crops as a hobby, while others do so in order to make a living. Either way, plant breeding and production can be a rewarding experience. Many people, however, don’t realize that there's still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to their gardening style. If you have a garden, you may think you're doing everything you can to take care of your plants but there may actually be many more things you can do to further improve your plant production. For instance, you can make your plants grow bigger and yield more crops by using a solar greenhouse.

A regular greenhouse is a simple structure made of glass, plastic, or other transparent material that allows sunlight and heat to pass through. It protects plants from harsh weather. A solar greenhouse can collect and store heat from the sun, which the plants can use at night or in cold days. Commercial producers of fruits and vegetables use very large solar greenhouses in order to improve their yield. These greenhouses, however, can be used by ordinary people to make their backyard plants grow healthy even during the cold weather.

Two basic types of solar greenhouses are available: the Quonset type and the shed type. The Quonset greenhouse is the more economical option and is very popular for home use. It has a tunnel-like appearance and often resembles an underground pit. With its multiple layers of plastic film, it can save up to 40% of the sun's heat.

The shed type solar greenhouse can be used in ordinary backyards but they are more frequently used for commercial plant production. These greenhouses have an axis that runs from east to west. The wall facing south is made of transparent material, allowing light and heat from the sun to enter, while the wall facing north is solid and insulated to prevent heat loss.

Solar greenhouses use either an active or a passive heating system. You will need to base your decision on which heating system to use on the kind of weather you have in your area. If you live in a place where winter is longer and it's colder all year round, a passive solar greenhouse is the more practical choice. Passive solar greenhouses can take heat from an electric- or gas-powered source.

An active solar greenhouse takes the heat from the sun and stores it so that it can be utilized during the night or in cold weather. Different heat storage options are available. Some of the simplest methods include the use of rocks or concrete to receive and store sunlight, as well as the use of dark-colored walls and flooring, which can absorb more heat than light-colored surfaces.

It is also interesting to know that more heat can be stored in your solar greenhouse if you have more plants inside. However, make sure your greenhouse does not get overcrowded as this may also be detrimental to plant growth. Nearby composts can also increase how much heat enters the greenhouse, while boosting plant production at the same time.

More about Greenhouses at Online Discount Mart.
Lorien1973 writes articles about home decor and garden decor for such sites as Online Discount Mart.
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