SANYO will use RAC09 as the UK launch pad for a ground-breaking new carbon dioxide-based heat pump system, which the company believes will transform the heating industry and open up an unprecedented new business opportunity for the acr trade.
The new refrigerant-based ECO technology harnesses an advanced air-to-water heat pump to deliver low-cost hot water for heating and domestic use in residential and small commercial premises. It is already widely used in Japan and Scandinavia, where it is eclipsing the supremacy of the gas-fired boiler.
Unlike other systems on the market, the carbon dioxide-based technology produces water up to 65deg C, hot enough to be used directly in traditional radiators without the need for an inefficient electric booster heater, keeping energy costs and emissions low.
The carbon dioxide-based system is the flagship product of a new heating sector business being launched within SANYO Air Conditioners UK. It has been established to drive forward and harness what the company believes is massive market potential for its new heat pump technology in the UK.
Bob Cowlard, business planning manager, said: “The CO2ECO system sets a new benchmark for the industry in terms of sustainable technology that delivers. In any objective assessment of performance, it leaves the competition standing.
He added: “The product opens up exciting new market opportunities for acr installers looking to broaden the base of their business. It could help offset what many think will be a difficult year – and beyond – for companies who rely on smaller air conditioning installations as their mainstream work.”
The system is based on SANYO’s pioneering carbon dioxide-based compressor, claimed to be the world’s first two-stage rotary compressor operating on R744.
Able to operate at ambient temperatures a low as -25ºC, the inverter-controlled high performance direct current unit delivers COPs of up to 3.75. The compressor is engineered to ensure effective load dispersion, and accommodates the high pressures generated by carbon dioxide to virtually eliminate the risk of leaks.
The system consists of an outdoor heat pump unit, containing the compressor and refrigerant circuit, linked to an indoor unit containing a heat exchanger and hot water tank. It supplies hot water for washing and can be directly connected to radiators or an under floor system for space heating.
The system produces around 50 per cent less carbon emissions than comparable gas-fired boilers, and does not need an annual landlord’s safety certificate, as required by gas-fired heating and hot water systems.
Alongside the CO2-based ECO system, Sanyo is introducing an innovative HFC-based heat pump system, further expanding the offering. Available in capacities from 5 to 28kW, the system is designed for both heating and cooling and can be used with traditional fan coil units.
The split system comprises an outdoor unit linked to an indoor Hydrobox, complete with pump, controls and back-up heater. The HFC-based system is being targeted at mainstream applications where the exceptional performance of the ECO system is not required.
Completing the line up of innovative and sustainable technology on show at RAC09, Sanyo will showcase the ground-breaking new ECO G Power two-way gas-driven heat pump VRF system. Equipped with its own generator, it is the first air conditioning system of its kind to supply heating, cooling, hot water – and generate its own electricity.
Each ECO G Power unit can produce up to 4kW, enough to power up to 40 indoor units or the equivalent of eight computers. This, coupled with its high efficiency heat pump, reduces emissions of carbon by more than 30 per cent. It is available in versions for use with mains natural gas or LPG.
All of the advanced SANYO technologies being featured at RAC09 are available now from stock, via SANYO distributors.
Visitors are warmly invited to visit the SANYO Air Conditioners stand (Stand HF30) to see for themselves the industry-leading technology that will be reshaping the market over the coming year and beyond.