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Reflective Material


I am working on a dome using Joe's design and intend to cover it with plastic and use it for a greenhouse (for the time being). This morning a thought occurred to me - if I cover the interior with a reflective material could I use a minimal light source and provide enough light for the plants inside? My next idea was to design a circular garden, cover it with a dome (with a reflective interior) and light it with one light placed in the vertex. Possible?

Roger

I think that would be much better than a square building with reflective covering on the inside. All the light would be reflected back towards the center and the ground by shape alone. The dome is more energy efficient than a square so it will hold the heat better. A whole lot less wasted space. I think even the air would circulate better inside a dome with no sharp corners. That, and it sure would impress the neighbors.

Clipper

Ok, I have an idea. I don't know if it works or not. Find a pentagon shape on the side. Normally that shape has 5 poles within it, converging to the center. You can cheat and make it look like one of these:

Then you'll have a taller door large enough to duck into, or a circle large enough to duck into. I would prefer a circle, but for a greenhouse the tall triangle should suffice I think. For a real dome to live in, the circle would be much better I think. Then you could make a circular "cap" with a seal. Hope this helps.

Joe