The team at Air-rite Solutions had the privilege of working on a grow room HVAC system as part of the University of Queensland’s Plant Futures Facility. This was a significant project that we undertook alongside Conviron and a number of other subcontractors to help UQ realise their state-of-the-art vision for innovation in this critical field.
At Air-rite Solutions, we provide the full range of commercial air conditioning services to businesses in Brisbane and South East Queensland. Let’s take a closer look at the work we delivered for UQ as part of this project, and some of the general characteristics and challenges of grow room HVAC systems.
The University of Queensland’s Plant Futures Facility
Since 2021, the University of Queensland has been building a brand new Plants Futures Facility to aid with research into plant science and how to maintain sustainable ecosystems. The facilities are expected to be completed in August 2024 on the university’s St Lucia Campus, where students and scientists will conduct research that is expected to have a global impact.
In 2023, Air-rite Solutions was contracted to provide our commercial HVAC services to a number of rooms throughout the Plants Futures Facility. Working with Conviron – a global leader in designing and supplying plant growth rooms – our team of HVAC technicians set about delivering on the scope of this project.
The Project Scope and Deliverables
Air-rite Solutions contributed our HVAC expertise to several rooms and areas of UQ’s upcoming Plants Future Facility. Here is a general overview of our scope and deliverables within the project:
- On Level 2:
- 20 Small Growth Rooms (Walk-in Chambers 19 x BDW100 Models, 1 x MGR Model)
- 7 x Elite Cabinets (Reach-in Cabinets PGC-Flex Model)
- On Level 4:
- 2 x Medium Growth Rooms (Walk-in chambers GH750 Model)
- 1 x Large Growth Room (Walk-in chamber GH1800 Model)
- 8 x Chilled water AHUs
- 30 x Mechanical Services Switchboards
We also worked with the following subcontractors on this project:
- Ipower
- Cooldays Electrical
- Archer Air Solutions
- Johalair
- Specialised Air Services
- Pro-Fab
- ACA Insulation
Through this work on the facility’s HVAC systems, there should now be optimal conditions for plant growth and research to take place.
What Goes Into a Plant Growth Room’s HVAC System?
When it comes to designing and installing a commercial HVAC system for plant growth rooms, there is a lot that stays the same and a lot that differs from doing the same for spaces occupied regularly by humans. A HVAC system’s role in a plant growth room or chamber is to carefully create and maintain an enclosed ecosystem that allows for optimal growth and nourishment.
Stability and control is the key to a successful growth room. Plants don’t respond well to sudden shifts in temperature, so our HVAC system needs to keep the indoor air at a consistent level to avoid any bad responses.
Humidity is another crucial factor. Plants and soil distribute more moisture than humans, meaning the humidity of a growth room can quickly become alarmingly high if not kept under control. High humidity leads to the growth of mould and mildew which can be devastating for the plants involved. That’s why it is essential for the HVAC system to maintain a steady degree of humidity within the indoor environment, mitigating the risk of any crops being damaged by unwanted fungus.
Finally, size is another important consideration while designing HVAC systems for plant growth rooms. For this UQ project, we were contracted to deliver systems for rooms of varying sizes, meaning we needed to adapt our solutions to meet the different needs of each space.
Contact Air-rite Solutions
Once again, we would like to thank the University of Queensland, Conviron, and all of the sub-contractors for their role in this exciting project. If you have any questions or would like to make use of Air-rite Solutions’ full range of commercial air conditioning services, contact us today.
