Another agricultural application of solar energy is greenhouse heating. Conventional green house mostly rely on the sun to supply their lighting needs, but are not designed to use the sun for heating. They rely on gas or oil heaters to maintain the temperatures necessary to grow plants in the colder months. Solar greenhouse, however are designed to utilize solar energy both for heating and lighting. A solar greenhouse has thermal mass to collect and store solar heat energy, and insulation to retain this heat for use during the night and on cloudy days. A solar green house is oriented to maximize southern glazing exposure. Its northern side has little or no glazing and is well insulated. To reduce heat loss, the glazing itself is also more efficient than single-pane glass, and various products are available ranging from double pane to cellular glazing.

A solar greenhouse reduces the need for fossil fuels for heating. A gas or oil heater may serve as a back-up heater, or to increase carbon dioxide levels to induce higher plant growth. Passive solar greenhouses are often good choices for small growers, because this is a cost-effective way for farmers to extend the growing season. In colder climates or in areas with long periods of cloudy weather, solar heating may need to be supplemented with gas or electric heating system to prevent from extreme cold.