UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Renovations to the infrastructure of eight of the nine greenhouses located near the Tyson Building on the University Park campus are currently underway. The greenhouses are used for teaching and research by faculty and students in both the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Eberly College of Science.
The project includes replacement of the heating and cooling systems, upgrades to the ventilations systems, new heating and climate controls, general construction work to doors, floors and benches, and upgrades to the lighting and electrical systems.
The new lighting includes LED crop lighting that will provide numerous benefits, not only in energy savings but also to future research done in the facilities. The previously used high-intensity discharge lamps utilized a lot of energy, much of which was wasted, and generated excess heat. The replacement LED lights have a sleeker appearance, run cooler, only emit the red and blue wavelength used for plant growth, and provide more uniform lighting throughout the greenhouses.
Of the eight greenhouses included in the project, seven are currently offline. Once those are finished, the renovation to the eighth greenhouse will begin. All construction will be completed by December 2015.
Original construction of the greenhouses began in the 1960s and continued through the 1980s. While several of the buildings have been renovated over the years, this project has by far the largest scope and will help minimize future maintenance needs.