ENERGY SAVING


manufacturers such as Panasonic, continues to devote significant resources to ensuring technologies such as the ECOi-W chiller range and the Aquarea Air Source Heat Pump range to offer consumers and businesses alike super- effective heating and cooling solutions. As an example, the Aquarea range is constantly evolving and is designed to make a significant difference not only in reducing energy consumption but also in cutting running costs. Some customers report up to 50% savings on their energy bills compared to other alternative solutions such as oil, LPG and electric heating systems.


Investment in Training We are seeing more investment in training for both team members and customers to further ensure that those in the industry are fully aware of current advances in renewable technologies to ensure maximum energy efficiency and cost savings. As an example, Panasonic works not only to provide learning and development opportunities for employees and customers but also with Universities and FE Colleges by offering talks and seminars to ensure that they enter the industry with the current knowledge and expertise – this also encourages more young people into the industry. In addition, the team at Panasonic has developed several CIBSE accredited CPD courses to ensure that training for their customers is undertaken in installing and specifying products correctly and that current compliance is adhered to. The team work closely with distributors with some having Panasonic training rooms at their premises. Panasonic UK HQ in Bracknell has a training facility where training sessions are held in addition to going out to customers premises if this is preferable. Laura Fleming joined the UK Panasonic heating and cooling team in 2018 as area sales manager – North, she commented: “I have been heavily involved in the development of our energy efficient commercial refrigeration range of CO Cold Chain products and this has also involved training our customers. Because of this I have had the opportunity to work very closely with our technical support for Cold Chain, in order to provide the best training possible for our customers. Additionally, we have an online platform with E-learning training, and I find this very useful.”


Industry Best Practice and Compliance Our industry takes compliance extremely seriously with a variety of tools and support available to assist all parties to follow best practice. Keeping up to date with legal and compliance issues is a constant challenge as the industry, and our technologies, can move quickly. Panasonic is a member of appropriate industry bodies and groups to ensure that prior to release, all products meet or exceed required standards and legislation. Memberships include Eurovent, HPA, BSRIA, EHPA and EPEE plus many more. Products also meet the stringent standards of having ISO 9001, ISO 1401 and MCS certification. As of


September 2019, the Energy Efficiency Label


ratings have been increased for space and combination heaters. The new, more rigorous energy efficiency label now ranges from A+++ to D, and from A+ to F for DHW. Energy Efficiency Labels have traditionally been used since the 1990s for white goods such as fridges and dishwashers. They were first introduced to air conditioners and heat pumps in 2013,


then room heaters, water heaters and DHW in September 2015. The labels are an important feature for consumers as they assist them in their purchasing decision and ensures they can purchase the most energy- efficient products.


Due to the above, much of the Panasonic heating and cooling range meet top level efficiency across the board, for example, the Aquarea range now having ratings of A+++ and for DHW A+ in the energy labeling regulations for EU.


Business Improvements Manufacturers invest heavily in R&D; Panasonic is always looking to constantly improve on their products. The research team looks to offer maximum effectiveness and energy efficiency that comply with environmental standards and meet the most demanding requirements of its customers. A recent innovation that has resulted in high energy savings is the new


Panasonic U-VACUA panels (Vacuum Insulation Panel – VIP) for its water tanks that offer 19 times the insulation performance of polystyrene foam in the units. Since the system retains heat longer, it needs to heat up fewer times each day and thus resulting in higher energy savings. In 2018, Panasonic announced the opening of its Air to Water factory in the Czech Republic to improve logistics in Europe and to further develop the knowledge and expertise for its renewable Air to Water heat pumps as a high demand is anticipated for future years. Employees and customers are taken across to the factory to learn more about the products and ensure a high level of training on the product. Furthermore, Panasonic recently introduced a new Aquarea Cascade


Controller making it possible to connect up to 10 Aquarea heat pumps in parallel, to suit the needs of large-scale applications such as shops and hotels and thus enabling easier management to monitor energy efficiency and usage. Each heat pump within the cascade requires its own Modbus Interface (PAW-AW-MBS-H) to allow it to communicate with the Aquarea Cascade Controller. The Controller directly integrates with the building’s BEMS by a built-in modbus for a smart way to manage heating, cooling, domestic hot water (DHW) and monitor energy-usage.


Technological advances within HVAC


Panasonic is known for its technical advances and has developed a number of IOT solutions to the industry such as its cloud based controllers, the Aquarea Smart Cloud with intuitive designs to help customers more easily control and keep track of data, thus ensuring the systems are being used in the most energy efficient way with statistics and full history always available. Moreover, Panasonic has introduced the Aquarea Service Cloud, allowing 24/7 remote monitoring and servicing to help to decrease energy consumption and optimise maintenance interventions. Homeowner, Vincent Haines installed Panasonic Air Source Heat Pumps


into home with smart controllers, he commented: “Panasonic is a well- known, reliable efficient brand and proved excellent value for money. As an IT Consultant, we also opted to have smart remote controllers throughout the property, thus allowing us to monitor usage in each room. Our installation was completed 2.5 years ago, we have found the system to be reliable and highly energy efficient.”


www.acr-news.com January 2020 45


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