Heated greenhouse or indoors for winter growing

[Bbruins]

Greetings,

I'm researching about growing hydroponic tomatoes and peppers with our charitable farm in zone 6a (Massachusetts). It seems like the wealth of knowledge is on this forum when it comes to tropical plants and hydroponics. Good on you guys. I have a low cost design to build a small modular heated greenhouse with insulation around R-2.0. We also have an old barn that could be sectioned and insulated for an indoor grow room. I know I'll have to use supplemental lighting in the greenhouse in the winter but I don't know how much as I've never to tried to grow in the winter before. I also plan on using it year round whether it's the greenhouse or the barn. Putting the initial investments aside, what do you think would have higher year round operating costs? A heated greenhouse in full sun or a grow room in a barn? Thank you!

 

[BigBlonde]

Putting the initial investments aside, what do you think would have higher year round operating costs? A heated greenhouse in full sun or a grow room in a barn?

My guess is the barn because the lights would have to be on all year. If the barn isn't heated, then that would add to its cost, as well.

 

[Bbruins]

My guess is the barn because the lights would have to be on all year. If the barn isn't heated, then that would add to its cost, as well.

Ok, thank you. The barn could be insulated to a higher value then the greenhouse so I didn't know where the balance lies with lighting vs heat. Either design would require heat in the colder months. Although, I could use thermal mass in the greenhouse (black barrels full of water).

 

[BigBlonde]

Ok, thank you. The barn could be insulated to a higher value then the greenhouse so I didn't know where the balance lies with lighting vs heat. Either design would require heat in the colder months. Although, I could use thermal mass in the greenhouse (black barrels full of water).

The specifications for the lights and the heaters will tell you how much power they'll draw. It's probably not trivial, depending on how many lights you'll have. The lights also produce heat, so that figures into the equation.

I decided not to grow indoors during the summer because of the added air conditioning cost. I grow outside instead. I use a spare bedroom for indoor growing, so excess heat from the plant lights helps to heat the house during the cold months. During the summer, the air conditioning must work harder to remove the excess heat, adding to the energy cost.

 

[GuySmiley]

I think this is one of those situations where there isn't a good enough description of each environment to reach a conclusion with any merit. It would take some sort of number crunching/mathematical analysis for each environment to determine which will be less costly to operate. Without the necessary numbers needed to crunch, anyone's guess is well.....anyone's guess!


Sure, you can do "this" and "that"to help improve the efficiency of each one, but the problem is, without being able to quantify how much,. It's still a guessing game.

Please don't interpret my answer as a refusal to help you. I'm just telling it like it is.