Energy Saving Optimizing the Ventilation Control in a Big Shopping Center

The paper investigates the potential energy savings in the context of big shopping centers, thanks to the introduction of innovative technologies able to control the ventilation according the real requirement for comfort and health of indoor spaces. The case study analyses a big shopping center, where the ventilation is realized with a centralized air-conditioning plant, working with fixed air flows. Two solutions are proposed to reduce the energy consumption for ventilation. The first considers the installation of heat recovery exchangers, the second the introduction of a control system able to modulate the air exchange, according to the real requirements. An energetic and economic evaluation is reported.