Scope of the contract: Preparation of an Energy Audit report in accordance with the UNI CEI EN 16247-1:2012 standard.
Project Objective: The energy audit of the shopping center was conducted to analyze the current state of the facility, identify critical issues, and propose a redevelopment and modernization plan.
Key information
Client Name: An Italian company that manages and provides integrated services
Project Name: Energy Audit of a Shopping Center in the Province of Milan
Project Period: March – May 2021
Total project cost: Estimated investment costs: €3,351,000 (construction costs only, excluding design fees, construction supervision, safety coordination, and temporary works)
Buildings involved: Shopping center in the Milan suburbs
Description of activities:
To conduct the energy audit of the shopping center, the documents provided by the client (floor plans, previous studies and analyses, technical diagrams of the systems) were collected and reviewed, and supplemented with a targeted on-site inspection of the facility.
Once the main system configurations had been detailed and energy consumption mapped, the most energy-intensive services and the primary opportunities for efficiency improvements were identified.
In particular, the rooftop air-handling units serving certain areas of the facility were found to be undersized and the cause of significant thermal discomfort; they were also inefficient and extremely costly to maintain. The facility is also served by a hydronic loop system, or WLHP (Water Loop Heat Pump), maintained at a neutral temperature year-round, to which water-to-air units are connected to exchange thermal energy with it. The hydronic loop’s fixed-speed pump system was found to be partially inoperative and excessively energy-intensive.
A new configuration for the HVAC systems has been proposed, involving the removal of the rooftop units and the installation of easily adjustable air-handling units, as well as by supplying the hydronic loop with groundwater at 16°C to increase the efficiency of the equipment connected to it. The retrofit is completed by the installation of solar films on the large glass surfaces, the replacement of lighting fixtures in the underground parking garage, and the installation of a rooftop photovoltaic system, along with the reorganization of other equipment located there to facilitate access for maintenance.
The achievable energy savings for each energy sector and the implementation costs of the measures were then determined.
Upon completion of the project, an Energy Audit was prepared, along with effective summary slides to present the renovation proposal to the shopping center’s management.
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