10:03, 19 May 2026
Words by Cheyanne Bryan, Editorial and Campaign Marketing Executive, London
Commercial heated greenhouses are highly energy intensive, often using propane as a heat source to grow some crops all year round.
This method, not only is not environmentally friendly, but also contributes to global emissions.
Luckily, Threefold Farm in Pennsylvania has come up with a solution to fix this — called a Climate Battery Greenhouse.
As co-founder Tim Clymer said in an interview with Yale Climate Connections: “sometimes I’ll drive by a commercial greenhouse and see the exhaust coming out of there, and I know how much fuel they’re burning through.”
On hot sunny days when the greenhouse heats up, fans inside the structure will blow the warm air into underground tubes that heat the soil around them. This heat will continue to be stored to use during the colder season, in which the fans work in reverse drawing heat back into the greenhouse from underground.
Tim Clymer further explained: “We’re using the soil as a big thermal battery. So regular batteries store electrical energy, we’re storing heat energy in the soil.”
Due to the success of this greenhouse design at Threefold Farm over the past 9 years, Tim has started to sell the greenhouse design plans and shares what he has learned with other farmers so they can too invest in an approach that doesn;t contribute to the heating of the climate.
To learn more or get a consult on the climate battery greenhouses, head here: https://threefold.farm/climate-battery-greenhouse
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
American Farmland Trust. This nonprofit focuses on protecting farmland, promoting environmentally sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land. Learn more here.
The Farmlink Project. A youth-powered nonprofit connecting surplus produce from farms with food banks and communities facing food insecurity. Discover their work here.
Heifer International. This international aid organisation tackles many issues including food insecurity by providing resources and greenhouse support to communities globally and within the US. Find out more here.
This positive news article aligns with the UN SDG Affordable and Clean Energy.
