Infrastructure upgrades

To improve the support provided to researchers by Central Glasshouse Services, a number of spaces and equipment have undergone recent upgrades:

Rooftop sprinklers

2019 saw the first glasshouse rooftop sprinklers get installed – these provide another way to keep the glasshouses cool, as temperatures soar in the summer months.

LED lighting 

A generous 2018 grant, approved by UQ Energy Sustainability, funded the purchase of 54 LED helio-spectra lights to replace the existing lights in the facility. These new LEDs have improved day-length extension and are also being used in the dark and growth rooms.

Glasshouse 5 chiller upgrade

A new 360kW chiller was installed in Glasshouse 5 late last year; the new chiller has 50% more capacity than the old one and the piping can carry more than double the volume of chilled water to the air-handling units. The result? More efficient temperature control for experiments, especially in the summer months.

A cool refuge for staff and students

Air-conditioning was installed in the facility teaching lab and lunchroom, for the safety and comfort of clients and staff. These spaces now provide a much-needed refuge for researchers and students who are spending long hours preparing experiments or harvesting on hot summer days.

Full steam ahead

Two of the glasshouse trolleys have been converted into road-worthy steam trailers. These have help to cut down on delivery times, and give staff the capability to transport media between UQ campuses when needed.