A greenhouse home is an energy-efficient dwelling that makes use of the greenhouse effect: a solid living core, kept at around 20°C, sits inside a large glazed greenhouse or conservatory zone at around 15 to 26°C that wraps around it as a big thermal buffer.
Characteristics
The design works as two nested layers. The inner core is a normal, insulated home. Around it is a generous glazed space that catches sunlight and moderates the climate before it ever reaches the living quarters.
- The glass admits daylight and passive solar heat.
- The buffer zone stays milder than the outside air, easing the load on the core.
- The temperature in the greenhouse zone drifts within a wide comfortable band, roughly 15 to 26°C.
Because the buffer surrounds the living core, the home loses less heat to the outdoors in winter and gains a bright, sheltered space that can be used far more of the year than an ordinary garden.
Application
The greenhouse zone can serve several purposes at once: a conservatory, extra living or growing space, and a thermal buffer that cuts heating demand. Greenhouse homes are often combined with heat recovery ventilation and heat-cold storage to push their efficiency further. The concept sits within the wider field of solar and passive architecture, where the building’s form itself does much of the work of keeping it comfortable.
Related terms
- Conservatory
- Greenhouse effect
- Passive house
- Solar architecture
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