The Solar Composter

A solar composter uses the power of the sun to help speed the composting process.   As many people are already aware of, in order to have a good rate of compost formation, you need to have a high temperature inside the pile.

By utilizing the sun's rays, you can raise the temperature of your compost pile which dramatically increases the rate of decomposition.

Plastics

Plastic is the obvious way that most people harvest the sun's energy. In fact almost all solar composter bins are made out of plastic. They're usually a dark colored plastic to attract the suns rays and retain any heat formed.

If you're using a traditional compost pile, you may want to think about putting a plastic sheet over the top of it to help retain the heat that the sun generates.

We also want to be careful with the plastic sheet, because it may limit the oxygen level of the pile, and may kill any beneficial bacteria that are there.

Thermophilic bacteria

As you know, the best bacteria for composting are ones that thrive at higher temperatures. In terms of composting, there are three different types of bacteria.

Psychophilic bacteria are also, referred to as "starter bacteria" and are usually present in the pile when it's less than 70°F.

Mesophilic bacteria are usually present in the pile between 70 and 90°F.

Thermophilic bacteria are present in the aisle when it reaches  temperatures of 100 to 180°F. Thermophilic bacteria are the workhorse of the compost pile.

A solar composter is the best way to raise the temperature of the pile quickly, thus allowing thermophilic bacteria to proliferate and do their job.