Comprehensive HVAC management for 250+ Merkal Calzados stores

The challenge

Merkal Calzados SL operates more than 250 retail locations throughout Spain. Each store has unique characteristics: floor areas ranging from 80 m2 to 400 m2, different architectural configurations and vastly different climate conditions between the Mediterranean coast and the inland plateaux.

The chain needed a technical partner capable of unifying HVAC management across the entire network, ensuring comfort for both customers and employees at every location. Energy consumption represented a significant share of operating costs, and the geographical dispersion made breakdown response times difficult, especially during peak retail periods.

Additionally, each new opening or renovation required an HVAC project adapted to the specific characteristics of the premises, complying with RITE and the municipal regulations of each location, all coordinated within the tight timelines of store opening campaigns.

The solution

Acoval took on the comprehensive HVAC management of the entire Merkal network: design, installation and preventive and corrective maintenance. We established a centralised management system that allows us to coordinate interventions anywhere in Spain, with response times under 24 hours for critical incidents.

For each store, our technical department prepares a custom project that optimises air distribution according to the geometry of the premises. Standardisation in equipment selection — rooftop units for large areas and ducted split systems for medium-sized locations — reduces acquisition costs and simplifies spare parts stock, without sacrificing energy efficiency.

The preventive maintenance programme covers periodic inspections in accordance with RITE, filter cleaning, refrigerant charge verification and consumption monitoring. This approach has allowed Merkal to reduce HVAC-related energy costs by 18% over the last three years and minimise unplanned stoppages during peak commercial seasons.