Winter Composting Solutions: Solar Composter DIY

Go “table-to-farm” with this convenient composter.

By Josh Lau
Updated on December 20, 2023
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by Josh Lau
This composter is top-load and side-unload.

Use the power of the sun for a solar composter DIY project for winter composting solutions to keep your compost composting!

Chickens are a fantastic way to repurpose food scraps, but if eggs aren’t in your diet or you’ve got scraps chickens don’t care for (I’m talking about you, citrus rinds and pepper seeds), composting is a wonderful way to go “table-to-farm,” as we say in my house.

A pile on the ground is a simple system. If you can’t put a pile just outside your kitchen or you have limited space, buying a tumbler-style composter may be tempting. These make the turning a cinch, but because the compost isn’t in contact with the ground, it doesn’t benefit from the Earth’s heat. The compost itself will generate heat, but when the weather is too cold for the bacteria to work and your compost pile is only tumbler-sized, you’ll get frozen zucchini peels instead of rich, brown ambrosia.

So, what to do? Simple. Build an eco-friendly house around the composter with big south-facing upcycled windows, thick insulation, and plenty of easy access to the great outdoors. This will gather the sun’s heat and keep winter at bay longer during colder seasons. It’s also a fun way to build something without committing to a massive project.

Around the homestead, I’ve never regretted putting equipment on wheels. Big swivel casters, coupled with lawn-mower wheels, will put your compost house closer when it’s time to dump compost out but will allow you to keep it out of the way when company comes over for a barbecue. Most importantly, wheels will let you change your south-facing window into a north-facing window when the season heats up, so you don’t kill the microbiome in summer. Depending on where you store the bin, and whether you’re up to the task of a two-tone paint job, dark, absorbent paint on one side can face the sun in winter, and a light, reflective wall can face the sun in summer.

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