HVAC Case Study
Solomon Mine Central Warehouse - Warehouse Cooling Solution

Western Australia -

Australia

A warehouse cooling solution was required at Fortescue’s Solomon Mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia to address extreme heat and improve conditions within the site’s critical logistics facilities. The Solomon Central Warehouse 1 & 2 facilities were experiencing excessively high internal temperatures due to their structural design and limited air movement, creating discomfort for personnel and impacting the workplace environment.

Project Requirements

• Temperature Control
Maintain internal temperatures within a comfortable 24 – 27°C range using autonomous CW-80S unit operation.

• Humidity Management
Disable units when ambient relative humidity exceeds 60% (adjustable).

• Air Quality & Purge Cycles
Implement a night purge mode to remove moisture buildup.

• Water Efficiency
Stagger salinity dump cycles to reduce peak potable water demand.

• Sensor Integration
Install room, ambient, and duct sensors in optimal locations for accurate readings.

•Control System Design
Provide control panels, switchgear, master time clock, and manual override capability.

• User Interface
Locate Seeley Multi Magic controllers within the warehouse office for ease of access.

Climate Wizard Warehouse Cooling Solution

To address the thermal challenges, a Climate Wizard warehouse cooling solution was designed around four CW-80S Hi-Cap units, delivering reliable temperature control and ventilation across both warehouse facilities.

• Room, ambient, and duct sensors for precise environmental monitoring.
• Autonomous temperature-based operation ensuring cooling only occurs when supply air is cooler than room air.
• Humidity based lockout logic to prevent ineffective operation during high humidity conditions.
• Night purge functionality running units at low speed overnight to remove moisture and stabilise internal conditions.
• Staggered salinity dump cycles to reduce simultaneous water demand across units.
• Optimised sensor placement including shaded ambient sensors and duct mounted supply air sensors.
• Centralised Multi Magic controllers installed in the warehouse office for intuitive system management.
• Custom designed control panels and switchgear enabling seamless integration between switchboards, HVAC units, and sensors, including master time clock and manual override capability.

The Outcome

The warehouse cooling solution delivered a measurable improvement in workplace comfort, temperature control and operational efficiency.

• Reduced internal temperatures, maintaining the target 24 – 27°C range during operational hours however current supply temperatures are below the required range.
• Improved air movement and comfort, significantly enhancing the working environment for warehouse personnel and pressurising to eliminate infiltration.
• Optimised energy with a estimated saving of 81% when compared to equivalent DX system and water usage through intelligent control logic and staggered dump cycles.
• Increased system reliability due to accurate sensor placement and robust control panel design.
• Enhanced operational oversight via centralised Multi Magic controllers and manual override capability.

This project demonstrates how a Climate Wizard warehouse cooling solution can improve working conditions in demanding industrial and mining environments.