https://permies.com/greenhouse We share real temperature data from the truly passive greenhouse at Wheaton Labs. Finished in 2021, this greenhouse uses zero electricity and has no fans, heaters, or solar panels. Instead, it relies entirely on thermal mass, earth coupling, and smart airflow design.
To understand how well the system performs, tracking thermometers were placed at the bottom of two thermal wells. What followed was not just stability, but long-term improvement. After installing thermosiphon pipes, temperatures began to rise and, more importantly, continued to improve year after year.
This video shows how thermal inertia does not just hold heat, but accumulates it over time. Each winter, the warmest temperatures at the deepest part of the system increased slightly, even during extreme cold events. The data suggests that passive systems like this can improve with age rather than degrade.
What this video covers
• what makes the greenhouse truly passive
• how thermal wells were monitored
• baseline temperature performance
• the impact of adding thermosiphon pipes
• year over year temperature increases
• thermal inertia and long-term heat storage
• why passive systems can improve with time
• projections for future temperature gains
0:00 finishing the truly passive greenhouse
0:10 placing tracking thermometers in thermal wells
0:16 early baseline temperatures
0:30 first temperature peak
0:47 hitting 49.6 degrees in 2024
1:00 thermal inertia explained
1:07 long-term temperature projections
▶ Stuff like this at permies.com:
the first wofati greenhouse design
https://permies.com/t/141902/wofati-greenhouse-design
the first wofati – allerton abbey- version 0.7
https://permies.com/t/26205/wofati-allerton-abbey-version
The Earth Sheltered Solar Greenhouse Book by Mike Oehler
https://permies.com/wiki/23444/Earth-Sheltered-Solar-Greenhouse-Book
▶ Some of my videos that are kinda like this video:
▶️ Devious Experiments with a Truly Passive Greenhouse – movie trailer
https://youtu.be/mM-MiQ2Km-Q
▶️ The Wofati Greenhouse movie excerpt – intro
https://youtu.be/dHdyG_80iJs
▶️ Truly Passive Greenhouse Build – progress report
https://youtu.be/hwpItn0pmIA
▶ If you are into podcasts, here’s a smattering of the podcasts I’ve put out on rocket mass heater topics:
Podcast 489 – Wofati Greenhouse Q&A
https://permies.com/wiki/143069/Podcast-Wofati-Greenhouse
Podcast 488 – Greenhouse Kickstarter
https://permies.com/wiki/142476/Podcast-Greenhouse-Kickstarter#1115293
Podcast 615 – Wofati Greenhouse
https://permies.com/t/180077/Podcast-Wofati-Greenhouse#1416860
I now have over 700 podcasts about homesteading and permaculture!
https://permies.com/f/88/podcast
▶ I have more rockety things that I will give to you for monies:
Master Gardener Program
https://gardenmastercourse.com
Timber Framing
https://timberframing.net/
Low Tech Laboratory
https://lowtechmovie.com
▶ Sign up for our daily-ish email and get the Log picnic table plans for FREE!
https://permies.com/goodies/124/y-2rsg
Or other freebies:
▶ Thanks to my patreon peeps for pushing me into making videos again http://patreon.com/pwvids
Dr. Hugh Gill Kultur
Kyle Neath
Mehron Kugler
Bill Crim
G. Cooper
William Kearns
Bryan Beck
Bill Erickson
Tina Wolf
Eric Tolbert
Cheryl
Joyce Hunter
▶ All my stuff: https://permies.com/stuff
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