Solar heating for greenhouses.

What a great idea. I look forward to hearing more.

Who knows, one day we'll all have to do it ! I find it fascinating, and not just cos I like saving money :-) In my case it's not practical as firstly I'm too old lol, secondly the herringbone from my septic tank runs beneath the GH.

This is what Dick Strawbridge did on 'It's Not Easy Being Green' - all the details are on a website http://www.reuk.co.uk/Its-Not-Easy-Being-Green.htm As far as I remember it was successful.

Wagger - I think this is the website I got the info from.

I get confused when watching TV programmes about such things as they tend not to concentrate on the issue, more on the characters. It's a great concept though, imagine free heat with almost nothing to do. I know someone who has bought a new house and the first job was to dig up the garden and install an underground heat source supply, also free.

Did you see Dick Strawbridge on Celebrity Masterchef he was a finalist and it seems there is nothing the man will not try.

Don't watch cookery programmes any more - well, only the odd one or two. Something to do with overkill on every channel. Are there any formats they haven't tried?

I empathize with you there Wagger, The only good thing about TV today is that it's so mind-dumming that it encourages you to get on with you're own life, we'd wouldn't have a life of our own if it was good all the time.:-)))

Kfunsters, I've often wondered if you applied a small solar panel to a computer cooler fan, whether it would extract hot air from your propagator when the sun pops out.

Heron - in principle it should work , have a look a maplins webstie for solar panels and fans.
So if the sun pops out the solar panel produces 12v and the fan does the business, the sun goes in and the power output is reduced. -the fan slows or stops - there is no need for a battery as you don't need a constnt supply could it be that simple?

Hi Kay,

Yes i did build the solar powered heat sink dick strawbridge made the hardest thing is digging the hole .I found that you needed a more beefy fan than the one he used for it to be effective .well worth doing but i would suggest a better way would be to use the whole of the greenhouse subsoil floor a lot more work but i think this idea works see link www.sunnyjohn.compersonal
choice.
References
1 www.sunnyjohn.com
2 www.roperld.com/science/
YMCAsolargreenhouse.htm
Andrew Collins actually built a solar system in a 12x8 greenhouse and managed to maintain a resonable and constant temp very difficult in a glass house.

Thanks ecowarrior. I haven't created one yet, as we are thinking of getting a bigger greenhouse, when we put in the footings we'll probably do it then. Thanks for the references.