Leafy Greens Vertical Indoor Grow Farm

Muncie, Indiana

Project Details

Client

Confidential CEA Client

General Contractor

CMC Design Build

Type

  • Controlled Environment Agriculture

Size

200,000 SQ FT

Providing mechanical system scope, equipment procurement, coordination design, and budget definition for an indoor, aeroponics lettuce facility. Once the scope and budget have been finalized, the detailed mechanical design, installation, and controls will be provided. The project consists of a renovation of an empty industrial building. The HVAC project scope includes custom air handlers with desiccant dehumidification to maintain the indoor grains of moisture at the target criteria while reducing connected cooling tonnage by more than 40%. The cooling in the units is provided by a chilled water system with air-cooled chillers and pumps with one extra of each included for redundancy. Initial project challenges included a limited electrical feed size and a building that could not support large equipment on the roof. The desiccant units greatly reduced loading on the electrical system as well as the amount of equipment that needed to sit outside on the ground. Support space scope on the project includes refrigerated processing rooms and docks, conditioned washrooms, harvesting rooms, and utility rooms. Additional scope recommendations under consideration are integrated racking systems for monitoring plant health, water uptake, air conditions, and biomass weight.