Design and Energy Optimisation Study for Logistics Warehouses

The development of latest-generation logistics warehouses has grown significantly in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue in the near future.

These buildings face, among other factors, two key requirements: optimising the initial investment as much as possible and maintaining suitable indoor comfort conditions for both staff and stored products.

Montepino Logística is one of the leading developers of logistics complexes in Spain and one of the most advanced companies in the incorporation of sustainable design criteria across its property portfolio.

The UPC-JG Chair for the study of sustainability in buildings, a joint initiative between JG Ingenieros and ETSEIB-UPC created in 2001, signed a collaboration agreement with Montepino Logística in May 2023 to develop fluid-dynamic simulation studies for logistics warehouses. The aim is to validate potential construction optimisation strategies and analyse their impact on environmental comfort.

The report presented below sets out the results of this study, applied to a Montepino warehouse located in the Marchamalo logistics estate in Guadalajara.

The study was carried out in three phases:

1. Monitoring of the warehouse over the course of one year, through the installation of sensors to collect data on its actual performance.
2. Modelling of the warehouse using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques and validation of the model with the data collected.
3. Simulation of different construction optimisation strategies based on the validated digital model.

Among its main conclusions, the report highlights:

• The usefulness of combining continuous monitoring and a digital twin to analyse the thermal performance of logistics buildings.
• The high uniformity of indoor temperatures and the warehouse’s ability to significantly reduce outdoor thermal fluctuations.
• The excellent indoor air quality recorded throughout the analysis period.
• The validation of the digital model as a tool for studying potential construction improvements.
• The importance of carefully assessing envelope solutions, particularly thermal insulation and translucent surface area, due to their impact on indoor comfort.

Through this study, JG Ingenieros, the UPC-JG Chair and Montepino continue to advance applied knowledge for the design of more efficient, comfortable and sustainable logistics buildings.