Catuaí Shopping reduces energy use and emissions through HVAC optimization

Catuaí Shopping is one of the largest retail destinations in southern Brazil, welcoming approximately one million visitors each month across more than 57,000 square meters of gross leasable area. Its HVAC environment includes chillers from multiple manufacturers, a thermal energy storage tank, and hundreds of fan coils distributed throughout the mall.

Without an automation system, HVAC operations were largely manual. This made it difficult to control energy consumption efficiently while maintaining consistent indoor comfort for tenants and visitors. In 2020, Catuaí Shopping set out to reduce fixed operating costs and improve efficiency to remain competitive and attractive to tenants.

To improve HVAC performance while continuing to use existing equipment, Catuaí Shopping partnered with Johnson Controls to gain better control of its building systems. An energy efficiency study identified opportunities to optimize the operation of the chilled water plant and standardize control across common areas.

Central plant optimization was implemented to improve how cooling equipment was sequenced and operated under real operating conditions. Automation of common-area fan coils supported more consistent temperature control throughout the mall. Using the Metasys® building automation system and remote monitoring, the operations team gained centralized visibility, reduced manual intervention, and established a more structured, data-driven approach to HVAC management.

With greater operational control in place, Catuaí Shopping achieved clear financial, environmental, and comfort-related benefits while continuing to operate at full scale.

Key results include:

• Average 30% reduction in energy consumption over a two-year period
• More than R$1 million in energy cost savings
• Improved chilled water plant efficiency, from 1.4 kW/TR to 0.6 kW/TR
• Carbon emissions reduced by an average of 106 tons per year

In addition to reducing energy use, the mall improved indoor temperature consistency and reduced comfort-related complaints. Automated HVAC operations also reduced the need for manual system management, allowing on-site teams to focus on higher-value activities while supporting a better experience for tenants and visitors.