BREEAM In-Use certification of MEGA shopping centers

All MEGA malls have adaptive ventilation with variable air exchange depending on the occupancy of the premises by visitors. Adaptive ventilation makes it possible to change the air exchange and energy loads of ventilation systems with the help of variable airflow units according to the readings of carbon dioxide concentration sensors. Unlike traditional ventilation systems, which usually provide two modes of air exchange: working and standby, Adaptive Ventilation can provide a smooth regulation of air flow rate in a wide range. This helps maintain a quality climate and significantly saves energy, as the mechanical ventilation system is one of the most energy-intensive engineering systems in buildings.

In the office premises of MEGA there is a possibility of natural ventilation and control of internal air temperature. There is also clean drinking water for all employees (coolers installed) and kitchens where food can be heated.

At the moment six MEGA hypermarkets are alredy certified for BREEAM In-Use: MEGA Khimki, MEGA Dybenko, MEGA Rostov-on-Don, MEGA Kazan, MEGA Ufa and MEGA Novosibirsk. In all cases the assessor was an international appraiser Ksenia Agapova. So far, all certified hypermarkets have undergone this procedure for the first time, and by the next certification the available indicators are expected to improve. In addition, there is a competitive moment between the shopping malls themselves: comparing the results, the team of each hypermarket is trying to develop solutions that will allow to further optimize energy and water consumption or introduce new technologies to create an even safer and more comfortable environment for employees and visitors to the store.

But the main task of certification was to streamline all these processes, to allow the company to do the work of greening the buildings and surrounding areas on a system level.This has been done on several fronts.


Energy efficiency and resource saving
Each MEGA facility has an energy management system, with which energy consumption is recorded: separately for each tenant (who spends energy and how much) and separately for systems (ventilation, air conditioning, heating, etc.).Such detailed accounting allows to correctly manage energy consumption: in this way the company understands where and at what cost it is possible to optimize energy consumption.For example, every MEGA shopping centre has a supply and exhaust ventilation.This is one of the most energy-intensive systems for this type of object.Its mode of operation is regulated by a CO2 sensor: as the number of visitors increases, the CO2 concentration increases and the ventilation starts to supply more air. This not only saves energy, but also creates a quality microclimate.