Practical Lessons on Greenhouse Modernization from Michigan State University
At Michigan State University’s Plant Science Research Greenhouses, a phased, $35+ million renovation and new build project is underway, a model for how long-term strategic thinking drives better outcomes for complex greenhouse operations.
More than 400 researchers rely on these facilities for everything from basic plant science to applied agriculture studies, with at least 100 different projects happening at any one time; all of Michigan’s commodity crops are represented within the facilities. Success here means balancing diverse operational needs, future-proofing infrastructure, and managing budgets, all while maintaining active research production.
At the helm of this project is Chrislyn Particka, who is the Greenhouse Director of the research greenhouses. When she joined the institution in 2019, she inherited aging infrastructure, inconsistent environmental controls, and more than 60 faculty users whose research needs were not always being met due to the condition of the greenhouses.
In fact, just a few weeks into her tenure, she received an initial assessment of the facility. The report contained suggestions on how to renovate each greenhouse; there were no plans to tear down and rebuild any. Over time, however, Chrislyn and her colleagues were able to offer their ideas on how the plan could be adjusted to include tearing down and rebuilding the greenhouses, as some of the shortcomings of the greenhouses that limited research capability could not be corrected with renovations. “Luckily, we were eventually able to dream bigger,” says Chrislyn.
Over the next five years, she would lead the transformation of one of the nation’s most complex research greenhouse facilities, all while keeping operations running, with a lot of help from the other greenhouse staff members. Here’s what she learned:
Understanding the Unique Needs of Research Greenhouses
Unlike commercial greenhouses, research facilities like MSU’s serve dozens of different users simultaneously, who have a wide variety of needs. Tree research needs tall space, for example, while pathology studies need precise environmental control to encourage disease development.
At Michigan State University, 60-70 faculty members are active in the facilities at any time, spanning eight academic departments across three Colleges (Agriculture and Natural Resources, Natural Science, and Engineering). The variety of research conducted includes crop breeding, herbicide resistance in weeds, how plants respond to and tolerate environmental stress, and the development of photovoltaic glass and evaluating plant growth under it.
Lesson Learned:
Design with compartmentalization first. Separate, individually controlled zones are essential. Operators should plan for isolated airflow, independent lighting, and autonomous environmental control systems to protect research integrity across a facility.
Recognizing the High Cost of Aging Infrastructure
Prior to renovation, many greenhouses had no computerized environmental controls, just independent thermostats triggering fans or heaters individually. Furthermore, 24-hour flat temperature setpoints were the norm — no day/night variation.
Vents were sometimes open while the heat was on, wasting energy and destabilizing the crop environment. Leaky or undersized evaporative cooling pads severely limited summer operation.
This issue at that point was that inconsistent temperatures created uneven crop development, even in research.
Lesson Learned:
Operators must eliminate multiple, isolated control points that “fight” each other. Invest early in centralized environmental controls, even simple programmable logic controllers (PLCs), to avoid this slow operational death spiral.
Install temperature and equipment overlay reporting: overlay vent status, fan speeds, and temperature readings to quickly diagnose system mismatches.
Timing Matters: A Snowstorm Sparks New Funding
In January 2021, a critical turning point occurred: a new university provost visited MSU’s greenhouses — on a slushy, sleeting day — and was snowed on inside a greenhouse.
That chance event spurred $4 million in funding from many sources at MSU. Over the next three summers, MSU used the funds to retrofit 41 zones with LED lighting and complete full renovations to 24 zones, including repairing floors, replacing old glass glazing with acrylic, and installing all new heating and cooling equipment along with Wadsworth Seed environmental control systems. Much of this work was done quickly and efficiently, using in-house staff, including the greenhouse staff electrician who managed the lighting installs.
But that was just the start of a capital stream that would change the course of Michigan State University’s greenhouses.
Lesson Learned:
Always maintain an up-to-date, data-driven business case for investment. Have cost analyses, ROI projections, and operational risk assessments ready, because moments of opportunity can be unexpected and decisive.
And if your leadership sees facility failure firsthand, be prepared to immediately present your funding case.
Practical Lessons from MSU: Building with the Future in Mind
By July 2022, the State of Michigan approved $23 million in capital funding to overhaul the greenhouse complex. MSU also allocated an additional $12 million. Chrislyn and her colleagues had used the time between 2019 and 2022 to clarify which greenhouses needed to be torn down, which could be renovated, and what the future layout should look like. Now, they had an idea of how to allocate this new money.
The key was to start with the end in mind. What were the ultimate goals of these greenhouses? Every design and engineering decision at MSU is focused on long-term operational benefits, not just short-term construction costs.
To find out the selection process of greenhouses for renovations, and many additional lessons learned from MSU’s ongoing greenhouse modernization project, please read the original article found on the LLK Greenhouse Solutions website.
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