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Bright Agrotech High Plains Greenhouse build

Well, the time has come to move from our current greenhouse into something bigger and better. I thought that I would start this discussion to document the build and get input/advice as well as share what we're doing as we go. We'll be building beginning in the next few months and operational by May. We'll be doing the construction ourselves, focusing on utility over the aesthetic for the time being. The biggest challenges we'll face will be the temperature variations and wind. We commonly have temperatures in the 30 degrees below zero in the winter, with winds in the 30 to 50 mph range common. We need to build this greenhouse to keep up with market demand and to fully engage the new market base we've identified.

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Permalink Reply by Sylvia Bernstein on November 18, 2011 at 10:18am

Wow...you guys are adventurous doing this build in your winter! The best advice I can pass on is to get a hold of these people - http://pennandcordsgarden.weebly.com/greenhouses.html and take the class they are teaching in Denver in January - http://catalog.botanicgardens.org/DateSelection.aspx?item=85&As.... They grow year-round at 8000 ft here with no additional electricity for heating! I've taken their class and it is excellent and will give you many ideas on how to design your structure to handle the concerns you have. Good luck, Nate! I need to come see it when it is done!

Sylvia

Permalink Reply by Nate Storey on November 18, 2011 at 10:22am

Thanks Sylvia, we definitely plan on incorporating some of the year round solar greenhouse concepts into the design. We'll definitely have to heat with some wood though (I consider this indirect solar energy!). . . Not a problem since the beetlekill around here is so out of control and I've got more timber to take down on our place than I could do in the next 20 years. Once it's built we'll have you up to see it!

Permalink Reply by Rob Torcellini on November 18, 2011 at 12:04pm

Looking forward to watching your project! Cold weather greenhouses are always a good challenge!

Permalink Reply by Pices on November 18, 2011 at 4:09pm

This is awesome! What size greenhouse do you plan to construct? What covering? Will it be a wood frame structure? How will you heat with wood? Will you heat the water or air or both? I have recently put up a double layer poly greenhouse and hope to primarily heat the water with a wood stove and solar panels.

Permalink Reply by Nate Storey on November 18, 2011 at 4:15pm

We're putting up a double layer polyquonsit. I have a woodlot covered in beetlekill so I'll heat with beetlekill timber for the mostpart. Originally I was going to use an outdoor water-jacketed furnace but I'm starting to lean towards building a huge thermal battery and run it off of a 5 or 6 barrel rocket mass heater system with pex tubing laid through the battery- running circulation pumps on thermostats. We're putting in crushed granite floors and blowing excess heat through the floor. We're installing a strawbale headhouse with tanks, and a small processing facility.

Permalink Reply by Sahib Punjabi on November 18, 2011 at 4:43pm

Congratulations Nate & Bright Agrotech !

I am happy to know that I was one of the early customers of your company. Wish you all the very best :-)