Turning Up the Heat

​     We who reside in Minnesota, have resigned ourselves to the necessity of heating during our winters.  Greenhouses, during the winter, must be kept at a plant-happy temperature.  It is us, the heating system, to the rescue.  We, in the most efficient way possible must keep the greenhouses warm at night.  Of course, the greenhouses utilize solar energy as much as possible.  During the day, the sun is our friend and allows us to rest.  But during the Minnesota nights we must go to work to keep the plants from freezing.  We are a special bunch of heaters, in that we are of the highest efficiency.  We try to sip our fuel judiciously and make the most heat possible.  We direct much of our heat down under the plants to warm the soil.  Working in conjunction with heat retention curtains and extra energy-saving insulation, we keep the skinniest profile possible as we put energy into the growing plants.  As the daylength increases during springtime months our work gradually decreases.  Finally, as we enter summer, we finally get to rest as the longest days turn up the heat naturally