Ribbon cutting of the Co-op Community Passive Solar Greenhouse on Tuesday at Normandeau School in north Red Deer. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

Come Grow With Us

Normandeau School hosts grand opening of Passive Solar Greenhouse in north Red Deer

Jun 13, 2023 | 5:19 PM

Normandeau School, part of the Red Deer Public Schools District (RDPSD), hosted a grand opening celebration on Tuesday for their new Passive Solar Greenhouse.

Located on the school property in north Red Deer (61 Noble Ave.), the greenhouse is part of their Come Grow With Us project and utilizes the latest building technologies with the aim of changing the greenhouse industry in Alberta.

Project spokesperson Kristine Plastow, said the vision began five years ago for an outdoor living classroom, to share fruits and vegetables with the students and greater community, as they have already begun to do with their garden plots.

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Construction began for the greenhouse with a groundbreaking ceremony in October 2022.

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“Watching the students observe the building, asking all the questions, hauling dirt and woods chips, has given our students such a sense of pride and honour. It has become a space for students to experience hands-on learning through science, a space to come and spend time when life gets a little bit too much and dig in the dirt for just a moment and reset,” said Kim Kirkwood, Principal of Normandeau School.

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She said the produce will be used to create meals in their food classes, vegetables will be donated to community non-profits, berries will be harvested for jam, and families will be invited to use their peppers and tomatoes at salsa nights, among a myriad of other activities.

Inside the Passive Solar Greenhouse at Normadeau School. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

Officials say the project totalled over $250,000, with funding coming from various corporate sponsors, including a $105,000 donation from Central Alberta Co-op through their Community Spaces program.

Dean Jones, Project Manager and Principal Investigator of the Green Technologies Research Group for the Southern Alberta Institute of Technologies (SAIT) explained how his team is investigating the performance of unique, low carbon and low energy greenhouses, including the one at Normandeau School with the help of reThink Red Deer, a local non-profit group focusing on sustainability.

He says they are exploring Canada’s capacity for food security in northern climates. Due to the cold weather, he says greenhouses in these areas can actually have the opposite effect of using more energy with fossil fuel-based heaters, and becoming one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases as a result.

However, the technology of the passive greenhouse at the school is designed to use the sun’s natural light and heat to extend the growing season and does not have an additional heating system.

Jones explained that the south wall is made with polycarbonate windows to allow heat and light while the other three walls and roof are made with magnesium oxide structural insulated panels (SIP), instead of materials like plywood, to lock in high levels of humidity. Temperature, humidity levels and electricity use are monitored with multiple sensors scattered across the greenhouse.

Lastly, he says an underground geothermal system conditions the interior space through 26 perforated tubes. A large inline fan delivers air into the underground tubes to regulate the temperature.

At the grand opening, students, parents and staff also enjoyed a free community barbeque, tours of the greenhouse and activities.