Panasonic Corporation announced that its Heating & Ventilation A/C Company (HVAC) will release three new models of commercial air-to-water (A2W) heat pumps using environmentally friendly natural refrigerants for multidwelling units, stores, offices, and other light commercial properties in September 2024. They employ compact designs that are at the highest level of the industry and join our lineup of models for stand-alone homes to serve a wider range of customer needs.
A2W is a heating system that captures heat from the air to create hot water for use in buildings. It minimizes environmental impact with less CO2 emissions compared to fossil fuel-using heaters, driving demand in Europe. Growth so far has centered on homes, and with the addition of multidwelling units and light commercial properties demand is expected to expand.
The global warming impact of hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) used as the refrigerants of air conditioners, A2W, and similar equipment led to them being designated for gradual production and consumption phaseout under the Montreal Protocol (Kigali Amendment) in October 2016, which came into effect in January 2019.
Panasonic began European sales in 2008 of its Aquarea, a residential A2W system developed based on energy-saving technologies accumulated through Eco Cute and air conditioners. Key features include its heating function that maintains warmth even in cold regions and the ability to use it for cooling in warmer areas. Remote monitoring services are provided via the cloud. In May 2023 Panasonic was the first Japanese manufacturer to release products using natural refrigerants.
It acquired the commercial hydronic air conditioning business of the major Swedish air quality and air conditioning equipment manufacturer Systemair AB (hereinafter referred to as Systemair) at the end of February 2023. Systemair has made significant progress in environmental technology such as use of natural refrigerants in place of fluorocarbons such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Panasonic combined its own highly developed air conditioning technology with Systemair's environmental technology to create new A2W products with powerful heating capacities. Production will begin in September 2024 in the Czech Republic and in France from April next year in readiness for the release of these products this September.
Key features of the new products are as follows:
A lineup of products with powerful heating capacities for multidwelling units and light commercial properties
The lineup so far consisted of models with six levels of heating capacity from 3 to 16 kilowatts, so the latest additions mark a significant leap up to 20, 25, and 30 kilowatts. They can be installed in multidwelling units, stores, offices, and other light commercial properties to address a wide range of customer needs.
First Japanese manufacturer to adopt natural refrigerants with an extremely low greenhouse effect for A2W in multidwelling units and light commercial properties
Up to now the R32 HFC refrigerant has been the mainstream for A2W in multidwelling units and light commercial properties, but Panasonic has become the first Japanese manufacturer to adopt R290, a natural refrigerant with an extremely low greenhouse effect. Panasonic plans to further broaden its lineup in the future.
Successfully adoption of a compact design at the highest level of the industry, allowing installation in small spaces
The new models have a compact design putting them at the highest level in the industry, successfully shaving approximately 30% off the size of current A2W for homes.5 They can be installed even in places with limited space.
