Sustainable design is a goal across communities, large and small. Our team was engaged to support the design and construction of a sustainably designed greenhouse in the remote Great Lake region of Tasmania, with a design capable of producing year-round food for its community. With a passive solar design already earmarked, the HED Consulting team were tasked with applying the principle to the Great Lake environment for a Tasmanian first.
When it came to designing the greenhouse, we looked to the technology developed and refined from physical science principles around the world. We then visited the site to understand the environment and applied these principles to Great Lake.
Engineering and design features of the passive solar greenhouse:
Water Recycling The greenhouse will be connected to rainwater storage tanks and a tray system will be hosted below the mezzanine structure. The tray will gather the water from watering plants above, redirecting the water into a 600L tank in the storage room for future re-utilisation.
Heat Heating within the greenhouse will be regulated by a GAHT (Ground-to-Air Heat Transfer system) and climate controls components. Using a GAHT system (Ground-to-Air Heat Transfer) helps acclimatise the internal temperature using the heat generated by the energy from the sun and channelling it through a reticulation system underground. This acts as a heat bank, pushing the cool air from beneath to the surface. The opposite effect happens when the temperatures drop at night. The heat stored in the underground thermal mass (heat bank) can be released to the surface with fans’. The GAHT system has been fine tuned with the collaboration of CERES Greenhouse Solutions in Boulder, Colorado USA, experts in this innovative technology for Australia.
Insulation The design incorporates thick insulation cladding and sealing thermal bridges to retain the heat as much as possible for efficiency. Importantly, the greenhouse is oriented to the north to get the best sun and heat capture.
Ventilation Ventilation will be regulated by passive and active measures, like automated solar-powered roof vents, windows with hydraulic openers sensitive to temperatures, internal ventilation fans, dehumidifiers and mechanical ventilation components that will be fine tuned over time.
Mezzanine floor An additional mezzanine in the design is intended as a flexible space for growing and other greenhouse activities. In the warmer and sunnier months, there will be a plantation of seasonal produce. During the colder months, the goal is to add LED growing lights to support the crops.
On site learning The greenhouse will be connected to the grid to power some illumination, powerpoints and the initial mechanical ventilation system components. Plant growth will be designed and oriented to the conditions as the internal conditions are tested over time, with tweaks and fine tuning for the optimal functioning of this unique project.
With design documentation prepared by HED Consulting and approved by the local council, the Great Lake community greenhouse has now been constructed.
This project showcases our leadership in best-practice ESD, façade optimisation and collaboration with international specialists, alongside our passion to support sustainable projects.
Tasmanian Community Fund Chairperson Sally Darke said that the project has created a productive and meaningful place for locals to come together and connect.
“Miena is isolated and facilities like the geothermal greenhouse will make a huge difference for residents year round, we congratulate all involved in bringing the project to life.”
Read more about this project here
| Project Name: | Great Lake Community Solar Passive Greenhouse and Makers Shed |
| Project Scope: | Australia’s biggest passive-solar greenhouse –concept-to-completion delivery |
| Pre-construction Services: | Design, civil, structural hydraulic engineering design |
| Client: | Great Lake Project Manager |
