Transcript:
Heated greenhouses let farmers grow some crops year-round – even in cold climates. But oftentimes, the heat comes from burning propane, which is expensive and warms the climate.
Tim Clymer, co-owner of Threefold Farm in Pennsylvania, says he’ll sometimes drive by a commercial greenhouse.
Clymer: “And see the exhaust coming out of there, and I know how much fuel they’re burning through.”
So he built what he calls a climate battery greenhouse instead.
On warm, sunny days when the greenhouse naturally heats up, fans blow warm air into a network of underground tubes that heat the soil around them.
Then, when it’s cold, the system works in reverse. Fans draw the heat out of the earth and back into the greenhouse.
Clymer: “We’re using the soil as a big thermal battery. So regular batteries store electrical energy, we’re storing heat energy in the soil.”
Clymer built his greenhouse nine years ago and uses it to grow figs, Meyer lemons, satsuma mandarins, and other citrus fruits.
He also started a company that sells greenhouse design plans and consults with other farmers to share what he’s learned.
So more farmers can invest in this approach for heating greenhouses without heating the climate.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media / Thanks to PASA Sustainable Agriculture for logistical support.
