An innovative way of ensuring a good indoor climate
A total of 80 GOLD RX 120 ensure a good air supply and indoor climate together with several BOC displacement units and a set of 90 PARASOL climate modules.
A huge site and a busy workplace
This industrial project for Volvo Cars is located in Kosice, Slovakia. A geographical position where the buildings will face both hot summers and cold winters. Manufacturing will go around the clock and the processes will vary throughout - emitting more or less particular matters and heat in different stages and buildings. The site will become a huge workplace once up and running, which is why we from the beginning were committed to deliver an indoor climate that is safe and supports both productivity and well-being.
Late changes allowed us to present our solution
The project had come far along the process, and start of construction was already in the calendars. The consultants had made their decisions and designed a solution for ventilation, heating and cooling based on the requirements of the future production processes. At that time, the HVAC solution looked quite different from what turned out to be provided in 2025.
With little to no time to start of construction, Volvo Cars and their HVAC consultant sought contact with us at Swegon because they were interested in our offer for an indoor climate solution for this site. A factory visit in Kvänum, Sweden, was soon scheduled for fall 2023.
Industrial facilities often require large airflows
One of the gratest challenges in terms of designing ventilation for industrial facilities, is the large airflow needed to ensure good air quality and a comfortable indoor temperature. Large airflows are generally associated with large air handling units (AHUs), but in this project, we were able to explain how many smaller compact AHUs also can meet the set requirements.
We presented a GOLD RX 120 air handling unit, with a tailor made mixing box, and the sincere interest could not be mistaken. What made Swegon interesting was the combination of the customer's previous good experience of our products' performance, the positive difference in investment cost we presented and the integration of controls which streamline operations and enhance system efficiency. Last but not least, the knowledge and experience we share with our customers made a postive difference in these discussions.
Get familiar with our GOLD air handling unit
One supplier, better in total
Åke Larsson, Project Manager Volvo Cars, xxx, at Volvo Cars, and Tony Pettersson, International Sales Director at Swegon highlight the most significant aspects of this project. Hear Åke Larsson explaining what he means by saying:
"One supplier is easier and, in reality, better for total cost"
Sizing and redundancy
In contrary to comfort applications, industies require more or less constant ventilation. Factories also need to ensure that the indoor climate requirements are met even on days when it faces maximum probable demands, sizing and redundancy is therefore utterly important.
With all data at hand we were able to contribute with computational fluid dynamics (CFD), heat balance calculations and product selection choices from our AHU Design software. All in all, we found that a solution based on large GOLD air handling units was enough to meet the needs of about 3,5 million m3 air per hour. The project group was happy with our proactive approach in addressing challenges and the offering of our support throughout the project.
Largest order to date
The consultants's work was now to make adaptations to the original solution and fit the GOLD air handling units into the existing design plan. We confirmed a set of customisations which ensured a smooth continuation of the project. When done and ready, our largest order to date was filed in our Kvänum factory. A total of 88 GOLD RX units were ordered, most in our largest size, 120, but also some smaller ones.
At this point, a few more months had passed and the order went pretty much straight into production. During early fall of 2024 the first units where shipped to Kosice in Slovakia, and shortly after lifted on to the rooftop of this 60 000 m2 industry facility.
A total of 25 minutes were needed to lift the different parts of the unit, get them all on the steel contruction on the roof and mounted together in one piece. The work completed those days was efficient and really something out of the ordinary!
More products from Swegon
Even though the consultant and Volvo Cars knew a lot about Swegon when seeking contact, they had not given other parts of the project a thought in terms of our offered products. As time went by, we were happy to present and explain the benefits of several air diffusers, climate beams and displacement units.
Soon there were preparations on site in Slovakia for installing 700 air diffusers, the same amount of climate beams and 850 BOC Booster diffusers, all to ensure a good indoor climate for the people inside. Our BOC displacement units are designed for both mixing ventilation and temperature control in large facilities which suits this project well.
Displacement ventilation in an industry
Energy-efficiency for a LEED Gold certification
All construction projects today have a clear focus on energy-efficiency, and some turn that focus into a building certification target. In this case, Volvo Cars aims for a LEED Gold certification for the site in Kosice. As energy related to HVAC can stand for as much as 30% of the total energy used, it is vital to consider at all aspects of the operation of an indoor climate solution.
The fact that our GOLD air handling units support an energy efficient operation without making compromises with performance is step one. The energy recovery capacity of the same units is what really can make a difference when aiming for building certificates such as LEED.
The end of a project starts with commissioning
At the end of 2025 all 88 air handling units were in place and the time of commission came closer. We met with a big team in Kosice, including representatives from Volvo Cars, the consultant and Swegon, to begin the next phase of the project.
Since our GOLD AHUs are manufactured with built-in controls, they are more or less "plug and play"-products. The commissioning process therefore primarily focuses on finetuning and ensuring the indoor climate requirements are met.
The beginning of handover and day-to-day operations
Even though we will be involved from Swegon for quite a few years, the commissioning phase still marks the beginning of the "forever after" with daily operations. For that reason, the days together in Kosice were very important. It is now that Volvo Cars and their relevant partners get familiar with the solution and learn how to run the operation for a safe, energy-efficient and comfortable indoor climate.
Why the indoor climate matters
Our profound knowledge has been highly valued throughout this project.Tony Pettersson, International Sales Director at Swegon
