Deep-Winter Greenhouse
Cost range: See below
Limitations Addressed by Product: Lower extremity, Upper extremity, Strength/endurance, Back
Designed/developed at the University of Minnesota, this passive-solar Deep-Winter Greenhouse (DWG) utilizes the sun's energy (instead of more traditional heating sources) to grow crops during the winter months. The building sits in an east-west position, with its glazing (triple polycarbonate) wall facing south. During the day, the sun heats the inside air, and a fan blows it underground through drain tile to be stored in a thermal-rock bed. When temperatures in the DWG drop to 38º, a thermostat triggers the same fan into reverse, pulling the stored heat out of the thermal bed back through the tile and into the building. A DWG can be used to grow crops that thrive with minimal light (e.g., lettuces, herbs, brassicas, Asian greens, sprouts), providing year-round production for small-scale farmers and gardeners.
![Estimated Cost Estimated Cost](/wp-content/plugins/the-toolbox/img/cost.png)
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Toolbox :: Vegetable, Small Fruit, and Flower Production :: Greenhouse and Shadehouse Operations :: Greenhouse Operations
Source | University of Minnesota (Greg Schweser) 411 Borlaug Hall. 1991 Upper Buford Circle St. Paul, MN, 55108 |
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Website | extension.umn.edu/growing-systems/deep-winter-greenhouses |
schwe233@umn.edu | |
Phone | 612-625-9706 |
Est. Cost | $20,600 (median cost) |
Last updated: Sep 30, 2019