The Building
 The Plant Accelerator® is a purpose built plant phenomics facility, which offers a range of greenhouses, high-throughput imaging stations, growth rooms, laboratories and seed storage facilities. This quarantine and PC2 certified facility includes:
- Over 800m2 dedicated to automated high-throughput imaging
- 34 greenhouses with a combined growth area of over 1,000m2
- Modern plant maintenance facilities for potting, sowing, harvesting, threshing, and seed storage
- 6 growth rooms and 7 growth chambers
- Clear, weather resistant cladding (Plexiglas®) which transmits the entire spectrum of UV light
Building floor plans in low resolution and high resolution.
Floor plan of greenhouses and Smarthouses.
Reducing the environmental impact
Operating a climate controlled greenhouse facility can be demanding on energy and water consumption. The Plant Accelerator® aims to reduce the environmental impact. This is achieved by:
- The installation of a tri-generation plant, which reduces the carbon footprint of the facility and increases its energy efficiency,
- The collection of rainwater, which is stored in four tanks that have a storage capacity of approximately 300,000 litres,
- The collection and re-use of mechanical waste water from air-conditioning units and cooling towers,
- The collection of greenhouse waste water for use as irrigation external to the building.
An award winning building
The building was officially opened in January 2010. Its design and construction has been recognised by the following awards:
- Australian Institute of Architects SA Chapter Keith Neighbour Prize for Best Commercial Building
- Australian Institute of Architects SA Chapter Commendation for Environmentally Sustainable Building
- Master Builders Association Commendation for Excellence in Commercial / Industrial Building $10-20 million
- Australian Steel Institute SA Awards: Steel Clad Structures - Steel Design Award
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