Geodesic Dome Greenhouse

If you are looking for a way to extend your growing season, avoid overwintering, or grow plants that normally do not thrive in your climate zone, a backyard greenhouse is the way to do it.

While there are many options for how you can construct a greenhouse, one of the most efficient solutions is to make it a geodesic dome. In this post, we will explain the benefits of geodesic dome greenhouses over other shapes, and share some options with you for where you can get a geodesic dome greenhouse of your own.

Why a Geodesic Dome?

Geodesic domes are ideal for greenhouses for the following reasons:

• Light penetration. For starters, traditional greenhouses are rectangular. That means that depending on the angle of the sun and the building itself, sometimes light penetration and heating are high, while other times they are lower. Geodesic domes, on the other hand, maximize light penetration throughout the day with their shapes. That means more even light and heat.

• Heat retention. The higher the surface area of a structure, the higher the heat loss. Compared to a rectangular greenhouse with the equivalent square footage, a geodesic dome greenhouse has around 30% less surface area. That means heat retention is higher throughout the day, and the structure is more energy-efficient.

• Open air circulation. You can maintain more even conditions throughout the interior of your greenhouse thanks to the superior air circulation offered by this structure.

• Strength. You cannot beat the stability offered by the triangles that comprise the geodesic dome’s structure. They can stand up to earthquakes, heavy winds, snow, etc.

• Easy and cost-effective setup. You may not need to set up as many heating and cooling solutions inside the geodesic dome since the air circulation and insulation of the structure do such a good job maintaining a stable temperature on their own. This not only makes it easy to set up your greenhouse, but less expensive.

• Flexible layout. Since the inside of the geodesic dome is wide open, you have maximum freedom with your layout.

• Cost-effective and easy to build. The lower surface area of a geodesic dome can help cut material costs. By ordering a prefab kit, you also can assemble the greenhouse quickly and easily.

• Aesthetically appealing. Finally, the look of a greenhouse geodome adds to its benefits. It can give your greenhouse the feeling of being a botanical garden.

How Much Does a Geodesic Dome Greenhouse Cost?

The exact cost for a geodesic growing dome depends on the size of the greenhouse as well as the manufacturer and features. But in general, you can expect costs to start out at around $8,000 for a small geodesic dome greenhouse (i.e. around 150 square feet), and range to above $50,000 for a large one (i.e. around 1,400 square feet).

While larger greenhouses are more expensive than smaller ones, you can expect the cost per square foot to go down with a bigger structure. Around $30-60 per square foot is a typical price range.

Where to Buy a Geodesic Dome Greenhouse?

Ready to build your own off-grid greenhouse? Here are a few manufacturers worth checking out.

Pacific Domes

https://pacificdomes.com/

This company has been building geodesic domes for a wide range of uses since 1980, and puts an emphasis on sustainability.

The sizes of greenhouse domes they offer start as small as 16’ tall and range to as large as 60’ tall.

When you order, you receive the frame, vinyl cover, door, anchoring, ventilation, solar fan, and instructions. You can also select custom options at an added cost such as extra doors, bay windows, a removable roof, round doors or windows, prehung doors, heating, cooling, and the ability to link multiple domes.

Growing Spaces Greenhouses

https://growingspaces.com/

Like Pacific Domes, Growing Spaces has been in business for decades. They created their geodesic growing domes to allow for year-round gardening in the Rocky Mountains. So, their products have certainly been put to the test.

Their smallest greenhouse is 9’5” tall, and their largest is 16’16” tall. So, these products are aimed at gardeners with lower capacity needs than the larger domes offered by Pacific Domes.

Included with your purchase are the structural components, automatic vents, a solar-powered undersoil heating and cooling system with a fan, Reflectix insulation, a shade cloth, and more. There are a number of additional upgrades available as well, like a desert cooling package or a solar-powered waterfall.

Start Energy-Efficient, Cost-Effective Growing Now

You now understand the benefits of a geodesic dome greenhouse, and you have some manufacturers to consider. To build your own high-efficiency greenhouse now, click any of the links in this post.