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Reinventing The Greenhouse

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Research shows that it's possible,
. . . to grow warmth-loving crops all year round,
. . . with solar energy alone,
. . . even if it's freezing outside.

Passive solar greenhouses,
. . . were especially successful in China, where
. . . 800,000 hectare of them were built, during the last
. . . 3 decades.
By 2020, they are expected to take up at least
. . . 1.5 million hectares.

Being the opposite of the energy-intensive glass greenhouse,
. . . the Chinese passive solar greenhouse,
. . . is heated all-year round with solar energy alone,
. . . even when the outdoor temperature drops below freezing point.
The indoor temperature of the structure can be up to
. . . 25°C (45°F) higher than the outdoor temperature.

A greenhouse having a northern wall of brick,
. . . with extruded polystyrene foam as insulating material,
. . . whereby the width of the wall can be cut in 1/2,
. . . covered with a thicker PVC plastic foil,
. . . adding a reflective coating on the insulation blanket,
. . . further reducing heat loss at night,
succeeded in keeping the inside temperature above freezing at all times,
. . . using only solar energy.

12-3-2016 Source:  Reinventing the Greenhouse


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