Panasonic Highlights New Product Innovations and Major Initiatives at Chillventa 2024

This week, at Chillventa 2024, Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions made several significant announcements regarding its ongoing environmental commitments and product innovations. The press conference featured key speakers from Panasonic and its partner tado°, outlining new developments in renewable energy adoption and innovative HVAC solutions for residential and commercial buildings across Europe.

Leading Europe’s HVAC Decarbonisation Efforts

Hiroshi Komatsubara, Head of Panasonic HVAC Business in Europe, began by reaffirming Panasonic’s alignment with the EU’s Green Deal, which targets 42.5% renewable energy by 2030, and net-zero carbon by 2050. He emphasised Panasonic’s long-term environmental vision, Panasonic GREEN IMPACT, designed to reduce CO₂ emissions within its operations and supply chain, aiming for a 300-million-tonne reduction by 2050.

Hiroshi also detailed Panasonic’s strategic investments in European R&D and production, such as the development of heat pumps in collaboration with universities and the expansion of natural refrigerant residential air-to-water heat pumps in its Czech Republic facility. He went on to showcase Panasonic’s latest R290 natural refrigerant heat pump system, Big Aquarea T-CAP M Series, designed for multi-family homes and light commercial buildings. The versatile unit is available in sizes ranging from 20, 25 and 30 kW capacities, with the capability to scale up to 300 kW in cascade. This reduces the number of outdoor units in multi-family homes and light commercial buildings and enables a space-saving solution. These models will be available from November 2024 through Panasonic’s local production channels.

Innovating Indoor Climate Solutions

As part of Panasonic’s commitment to enhancing customer comfort and energy efficiency, Hiroshi introduced new indoor climate solutions with its hydronics range. The range integrates heating, cooling, and air conditioning into one seamless solution. “These solutions leverage water circulation piping and offers customers a unified control solution, providing both energy savings and greater ease of use,” Hiroshi explained. He added that the product lineup, available from this month, is designed to blend into any indoor environment.

Two key products within this range include Aquarea Loop and Aquarea Air: “Aquarea Loop enables decentralised room heating and cooling, allowing customers to choose their preferred temperature setting, while Aquarea Air offers smart fan coils with precise temperature regulation and a stylish, space-saving design.” Both systems are designed to seamlessly integrate with various interior styles, making them ideal for homes and offices alike.

Enhancing Efficiency Through Partnership

Philip Beckmann, CEO of tado°, took to the stage to discuss the joint efforts with Panasonic to address customer pain points identified from a survey of 12,000 European households. He noted that, “75% of our customers are still using gas or oil heating, with 23% of them planning to replace the existing gas or oil heating system in the next 3-4 years, the majority of which want to rely on air-to-water heat pumps. However, high costs and concerns about efficiency remain the biggest barriers to adoption.”

To address these challenges, Panasonic and tado° will be releasing a co-branded, integrated solution for maximum heating efficiency and energy savings, without sacrificing comfort. tado°’s, app will offer enhanced integration with Panasonic’s Aquarea heat pumps, providing simplified control, multi-room management, and dynamic tariff optimisation. Philip also announced future plans for further efficiency gains by 2025 through optimised control algorithms, ensuring greater energy savings for customers. These solutions, starting with the German market, will help accelerate Europe’s transition to green energy.

Solutions for 2025

Clemens Petzold, Head of Marketing of DACH, introduced the company’s innovative solutions for 2025, focusing on residential and commercial applications. “We are continuously evolving to meet the needs of modern households and commercial environments, particularly in terms of energy efficiency and smart home integration,” said Clemens.

He highlighted key products, including the new smart fan coils, advanced Aquarea heat pumps, the Aquarea Loop system, and a new cascade controller that allows for more flexible and efficient heat management in multi-family homes and commercial spaces. “These solutions are designed not only to provide superior climate control but also to maximise energy savings,” Clemens explained.

For more information visit Panasonic at Chillventa, Nuremberg, on October 8-10th 2024 in Hall 4A / Booth 4A-429 or visit https://www.aircon.panasonic.eu.