More Area, Without a Proportional Increase in HVAC Capacity: A Case Study with Grupo Boticário

When an HVAC solution does not achieve the expected balance between the area served and the investment required, it is natural to look first at installed capacity. But that is not always where the solution lies.

This was the challenge encountered in an area of Grupo Boticário’s Distribution Center in Registro, São Paulo, Brazil, dedicated to product picking. The space presented thermal discomfort for employees, and the initial HVAC design called for 420 TR to serve 5,800 m², with an investment considered disproportionate to the area to be conditioned.

Michelena Engenharia was brought in to reassess the solution and seek an alternative that could significantly expand the conditioned area without proportionally increasing the installed capacity.

When Increasing Capacity Is Not the Only Answer

In HVAC projects, installed capacity is only part of the equation. The way air is distributed also needs to respond to the characteristics of the environment, occupancy, and conditions of use.

For this reason, before defining the required capacity, it is important to understand whether the system configuration is appropriate for the space to be served. At Boticário’s Distribution Center, this reassessment led Michelena to a different approach from the solution initially proposed: displacement air distribution combined with chilled water.

The new configuration increased the served area from 5,800 m² to 9,800 m², with 500 TR of installed capacity.

Rethinking Air Distribution

The displacement airflow solution was selected based on the characteristics of the warehouse and the occupancy of the picking area. This system made it possible to direct treated air directly to the occupied area, reducing air losses to unoccupied areas.

The change was not simply about adding or removing capacity, but about reconsidering how the system could distribute air within the environment and serve the required area.

The chilled water plant consisted of two centrifugal chillers, totaling 500 TR, with a variable primary pumping system.

This configuration highlights an important issue for HVAC projects: the required capacity cannot be analyzed separately from the distribution strategy and the characteristics of the space.

Validate Before Implementation

A change in the HVAC strategy also requires confidence in the decision-making process.

To assess airflow behavior before project implementation, Michelena used CFD modeling. The simulation made it possible to evaluate the proposed solution and validate airflow behavior before the system was installed.

In this context, CFD is not simply a visualization tool. It is part of the engineering alternative evaluation process, making it possible to analyze the expected behavior of the solution before implementation.

69% More Area with 19% More Capacity

The comparison between the solution initially proposed and the implemented solution shows the scale of the change.

• 5,800 m² → 9,800 m²

• 420 TR → 500 TR

This represents 69% more area served with a 19% increase in installed capacity, compared with the conventional solution initially calculated.

However, this figure needs to be interpreted correctly.

This comparison demonstrates how a change in the solution configuration made it possible to significantly expand the area served without a proportional increase in installed capacity. It does not represent a measurement of energy savings or a reduction in operating costs.

The distinction is important: comparing two design solutions is different from measuring the energy performance of a system in operation.

What This Case Shows About HVAC Projects

The Boticário Distribution Center case illustrates an issue that can arise in different projects: when a solution reaches investment or coverage limits, reassessing the HVAC strategy can be just as important as reviewing installed capacity.

Reassessing the distribution strategy, understanding the characteristics of the environment, and using simulation tools to validate alternatives can open up new design possibilities.

For engineering teams, this means looking beyond capacity sizing and considering the relationship between system, space, occupancy, and expected performance.

In the Boticário case, this reassessment made it possible to transform an initially limited solution into an alternative capable of serving a significantly larger area, with proportionally lower installed capacity relative to the area served.

HVAC engineering, in this context, begins before equipment selection. It begins with asking the right question about the problem the system needs to solve.

About the Author

This article was developed in partnership with Michelena Engenharia and published internationally by JoinWise.

Michelena Engenharia develops HVAC and climate control solutions for different types of developments and applications, combining technical knowledge, engineering, and analytical tools to address the specific requirements of each project.

Learn more about Michelena and its projects through its website and LinkedIn profile.