Leafy Greens Vertical Indoor Grow Farm

We worked with our client across multiple locations. This project ranged from a 9-level to a 12-level vertical farm for production of a wide range of leafy green products. The building consists of office space, nutrient room, germination, seeding, grow room, processing, and refrigerated spaces for packing and product storage. The grow rooms require careful consideration of CO2, temperature, humidity, air velocity, average leaf area index (LAI), Photoperiod and lighting PPFD to create the ideal environment and achieve the optimal harvest. The owner couldn’t provide watering rates, so we used the inputs from their Ag Science team to estimate plant transpiration and convert to a latent load for sizing our HVAC equipment. Due to the high moisture rates introduced by the plants, the environment requires dehumidification during all hours of operation. Our team elected to use semi-custom DX rooftop units and modulating hot gas reheat, a system that conserves energy year-round. Another energy conservation measure implemented was a condensate collection system to allow the water to be recycled and used for irrigation. CO2 was piped and injected into the ductwork system of the Grow Rooms and zoned using solenoid valves. We designed a cost-effect, innovative duct system In order to provide airflow and velocity at the plant canopy on all levels. With the aid of positional fans, we achieved a +/- 2°F temperature difference from floor to ceiling over a height of 36 feet. The project sizes vary from 100,000-150,000 SQ FT.