A Smart and Intelligent Greenhouse at Amway Botanical R&D Center

Many people’s impression of a greenhouse is a glass construction that houses different planting areas and is set at a constant ideal temperature. Some may also think that a greenhouse is only used for growing expensive flowers and plants. The smart and intelligent greenhouse located at the Amway Botanical R&D Center will change your perceptions of what a greenhouse can be used to achieve.

The greenhouse at the Amway Botanical R&D Center is a facility where the focus is on smart and intelligent control. Environmental factors such as sunlight, humidity, temperature and soil conditions are constantly monitored through a smart system, ensuring that all the factors that need to be considered at each growing stage are carefully controlled. At the same time, the growing stage of each plant is recorded to give the team a better understanding of  the plants’ “special needs” as they develop, all with the goal of growing the highest-quality plants.  

Smart Environmental Monitoring and Control

The greenhouse is divided into different areas, including an exhibition hall, a research and development greenhouse, a cleanroom and a net house. The greenhouse adopts a closed management approach due to its special research and management needs, though an exclusive visitors’ passage has been specially designed to create a great  experience for guests. 

The research and development greenhouse is the most important part of the complex. To meet the needs of Amway’s scientific researchers, the basic structure of the greenhouse adopts two different types:  an A-FRAME and an open-roof type. The former provides a good sealing effect, making it easier to control the indoor temperature and increase the energy-utilization rate to make it more economical. The open-roof section of the greenhouse has also been adapted to meet different needs in plant research, promoting a 100% ventilation rate and better responding to the humid environment in the Jiangnan region.

The cleanroom is where researchers study the growth and development of plants in an isolated environment, while the net house provides the team with a space to conduct research into adapting to microclimates.