Knowledgebase
Welcome to the BTL Knowledgebase. Ever since we started lining ponds, creating covers, and helping people with their projects, we've gotten asked a lot of questions. Many of these questions are repeatedly asked, so we put together the BTL knowledgebase to help answer any questions you had about a particular subject. We are adding new questions every month, so continue to check back often!
All of our resources are free. Please don't hesitate to share them with others!
Search
Is geothermal heating cheap?
Other than installation and occasional maintenance costs, geothermal greenhouses are minimally expensive.
Read More
What does a heat pump do?
Heat pumps are used in greenhouses in order to push cool air through underground pipes before pulling warmed air out.
Read More
Where does geothermal heat come from?
Geothermal energy is heat from within the Earth that has been present since the original formation of the planet. It is contained in the rocks and fluids beneath the earth's crust, distributed through layers of magma several thousand miles thick.
Read More
How does geothermal energy heat a greenhouse?
Water and soil below ground contain a vast reservoir of thermal energy, thanks to the natural heat emanating from the magma layers stretching thousands of miles below the earth’s crust. Geothermal greenhouse systems can take advantage of this stored therm
Read More
How do you keep a greenhouse warm during the winter?
A geothermal heat pump pulls heat from within the soil, generated by the Earth itself, this temperature stays steady throughout the year.
Read More
How do you keep a greenhouse warm at night?
While the sun isn't warming your greenhouse, thermal batteries or a heat sink can be used to transfer thermal energy when the ambient temperature cools.
Read More
Is geothermal energy effective?
Geothermal energy is sustainable, non-polluting, and available all over the world, during any season.
Read More
Does a geothermal greenhouse lose heat at night?
While the sun isn't warming your greenhouse, thermal batteries or a heat sink can be used to transfer thermal energy when the ambient temperature cools.
Read More
Does geothermal heating require electricity?
Geothermal energy is readily available virtually everywhere on the planet, and can often be completely passive.
Read More
Is geothermal energy good?
Much like solar energy, geothermal energy is sustainable, non-polluting, and available all over the world. Geothermal energy has advantages over other green solutions like solar and wind power, though, because the energy is 'direct-use'. Since the energy
Read More
How do you increase thermal mass in a greenhouse?
If you're using a simple passive thermal battery setup and need to increase your thermal mass, the most popular and simplest option is to add large barrels of water, painted black. These are cheap, easy to move in, and as long as they're exposed to plenty
Read More
Where should I place a heat sink in my greenhouse?
Heat sinks need to be exposed to a source of heat, such as solar or geothermal, that it can absorb and store until it releases when the ambient temperature drops. If your heat sink is supplied by solar energy, it should be placed where it gets maximum sun
Read More
How deep does a heatpump go?
The key to using ground geothermal energy is to access ground that’s deep enough to escape the effects of surface temperatures. In many parts of the world, that’s as little as 4’ deep. Even in very cold climates, soil that maintains a steady temperature o
Read More
What are the best materials for adding thermal mass?
All materials have their own unique ability to store, absorb, and conduct heat. Dense, highly conductive materials are the best options for a geothermal greenhouse.
Read More
How do you build a heat sink for a greenhouse?
When building a heat sink for a greenhouse, there are a few basic principles to keep in mind. First, choose your "battery" carefully. In general, the denser your material, the more heat it can absorb and store. Water is superior to almost any kind of loos
Read More
What are the best materials for thermal energy?
Highly conductive materials are the best way to store heat for use in thermal energy.
Read More
Where do greenhouses lose the most heat?
Greenhouses are sometimes built with small openings in the roof to allow air to vent, which is critical if you're using supplemental heat from an oil heater or wood fired stove, for example. For geothermal greenhouses, that kind of venting is unnecessary
Read More
How do you heat a greenhouse with a heat sink?
You can think of a heat sink as a kind of a collector and storage for thermal energy.
Read More
How do you add thermal mass to a greenhouse?
An easy way to increase thermal mass is to add barrels of water, painted flat black, along a wall where it will receive sunlight. Besides adding more “batteries” to the equation, these water barrels can also be used for plant irrigation, eliminating plant
Read More
How does a greenhouse store thermal energy?
Thermal energy is stored within mass, either in a heat sink of rubble or gravel, or by installation of thermal batteries, like dark barrels of water.
Read More
Does a geothermal greenhouse work in the Winter?
Yes! A few feet below the surface, the soil is warmed by geothermal energy and maintains a constant temperature year round.
Read More
What is a thermal mass?
Thermal mass' describes a material's capacity to absorb, store and release heat. Dense materials like water and concrete have a high capacity to store heat and are referred to as 'high thermal mass' materials.
Read More
Can you heat a greenhouse with geothermal energy?
Geothermal energy is free, easily accessible, and well suited to use in greenhouses.
Read More