Short Story: I'm new to greenhouses and the one I will build won't have the best sunlight. I need some "getting started" information about lights, water sources, automation, &c.
Long Story: We recently lost our house to a California wildfire. When we rebuild, I am planning on having attached greenhouses. Since our current view is of dead black trees, we figured having a few greenhouses outside strategic windows would give us a bit of color and warmth. So the houses will be solid wall on two sides, and windows on the other two. The roofs will probably be opaque also. They will probably be about 4'x10' each.
The plan is for some sort of automated irrigation and greenhouse light for year-round growing. I'm not sure if I need to worry about temperature control or anything else. The windowed sides will face south, and we are at 5200+ft which gives us snow but not a lot of below freezing weather.

I usually kill any plant that touches my hands (it might be suicide, it's hard to tell). I am hopeful to be able to put the time in to keep these plants alive, but making it as fool-proof as possible is probably the best plan.

I am looking for suggestions for a book, videos, websites, etc. that might help me. Maybe even some terminology that applies to what I'm doing that will help me with google searches.

I'm sorry you lost your home to wildfires. That's tough. We know of people from Paradise who moved to Reno and lost their home (again) to a fire here last summer.

I'm a little confused about why you would want to make two walls and the roof opaque. Greenhouses are not usually see through, even with all the walls and root translucent. The glazing and all the plants make them pretty opaque. Your plan seems counter-productive. Depending upon where you live (you didn't say and that's actually important), there could and should be other choices and options. 4' x 10' is a very long, skinny greenhouse. How would you walk through it or utilize the space? What do you plan to grow?

I live at 5000 ft. That's gives me snow once in awhile and temperatures in the teens. I thought I would have to add lights to my greenhouse here in Reno but, instead, I have year round shade cloth.

If you plan to attach the greenhouse to your house, you will need a permit. If you live in a city, you will need a permit for a free-standing greenhouse. If you plan to put a chair in it, that's a different (living space) permit. Have you though of a new 4-season room included in your house design? Then you could make a wall of green to look at.

Thanks DaisyI, I live in the Shaver Lake area, eastern Fresno, in the mountains just the other side of Yosemite from you.
The plan is that we will be building these as part of the house. It is hard to explain, but two walls will be the house's outside walls. The other two walls will be glass, probably sliding glass doors for easy access. I don't think there will be a lot of "walking through", because we should be able to reach everything from the door.
Building it attached to the house is a design choice based on a few factors, and I know that is counter-productive to the true nature of a greenhouse. But I also know I can make it work with modern tech for lighting and temperature control.
btw: We rarely get in the teens, 20's overnight happens, but isn't that common. Cold winter days are usually in the low 40's or so.

Thanks again for any other ideas.

That's interesting. I'm from Oakdale. The tempertures fall into the teens every winter but it doesn't snow.

Anyway, what you are describing is called a "lean-to greenhouse". How will you see your plants? Will you have windows into the space? What do you plan to grow?

I will have windows from the house into the "lean-to greenhouse", so we can see some green. I'm not sure about the plants, probably something colorful, and maybe something to eat. I can have the two different lean-tos at different temperatures or with different light cycles, so I should be able to grow two diverse crops.

Facing south at 5200 ft with your house behind them? You will need to control the heat almost year round.