Previous Situation

A well-known multinational automotive company decided to move forward with ENEF on an EPC project aimed at optimizing and automating the ventilation systems of its industrial plant. Until then, these systems were operated completely manually, without considering internal or external environmental conditions, resulting in inefficient energy use and affecting comfort conditions inside the production halls. Additionally, it was identified that the air conditioning systems in administrative offices remained on outside working hours, generating unnecessary consumption and clear opportunities for improvement.

The Solution

To address this situation, ENEF designed and implemented an integrated automation system that included the installation of sensors capable of recording internal and external temperatures of the plant in real time. These sensors, integrated into a new HMI interface for local supervision and connected to a dedicated PLC, allow automatic control of the injection fans’ on/off operation based on intelligent control logic. This logic activates the fans when the internal temperature exceeds a predefined comfort threshold and only if the external temperature is lower, promoting assisted natural ventilation and efficiently reducing the indoor thermal load.

Moreover, during winter months, the system automates the operation of gas burners to generate hot air and maintain the required environmental conditions inside the halls, always prioritizing operation according to limit values established for each operational area.

Additionally, new programmable controllers were installed on the rooftop units in the offices, enabling flexible management of different on/off schedules based on outdoor temperature conditions and staff presence. This allows the equipment to automatically shut down during non-operating hours and activate in advance before employee arrival, ensuring spaces are thermally comfortable while reducing energy consumption associated with idle times.

This project not only optimized energy use in both systems but also improved working conditions in the plant and offices, reduced associated emissions, and demonstrated how significant savings and environmental management improvements can be achieved through relatively low-cost automated solutions.

Results