Panasonic brings air-to-water heat pumps to Europe

Panasonic has announced plans to launch three new versions of its air-to-water (A2W) Aquarea heat pumps, which use R290 natural refrigerant, in Europe in May 2023.

“Panasonic began sales in Europe in 2008 of its A2W Aquarea, developed based on energy-saving technology refined with its Eco Cute and air conditioners,” the company said. “Key features include its heating function which remains unchanged even in cold regions and can be used for cooling in warmer areas. Remote monitoring services are provided via the cloud.”

The heat pumps can supply domestic hot water, heating and cooling from a single, integrated unit. They are currently available with a power of 3 kW, 5 kW, 7 kW, and 9 kW for all-in-one configurations and 5 kW, 7 kW, and 9 kW for the mono-bloc variants. It can also synchronize with PV panels with Panasonic’s own technology printed circuit board (PCB) technology CZ-NS4P and smart-grid compatibility.

The product features a non-flammable control box, a power box cable ground with a sealed connection, and a refrigerant separator. It also has a seasonal coefficient of performance (SPOC) rating of A+++.

According to the manufacturer, the system can be easily integrated along existing radiators, with a high water flow temperature of up to 75 C, and is able to reach up to 60 C water outlet. Furthermore, it claims the system allows a degree of flexibility in installation thanks to a piping length of up to 50m between indoor and outdoor.

“Its 598 mm x 600 mm footprint, standard size of other big appliances, facilitates the integration and an easy and neat installation in the kitchen,” said the Japanese company.

“Panasonic will invest approximately JPY 50 billion ($345.5 million) up to fiscal year ending in March 2026 to boost production and enhance technology development and marketing to meet the active demand for A2W in Europe,” the company said. “In the medium term, it will broadly expand its production capacity, aiming for a structure capable of 1 million units. Up to fiscal year ending in March 2026 the company will expand 50% of its training centers and showrooms to supply installation workers with the necessary techniques and know-how for R290 and other natural refrigerants to form a comprehensive program.”

In September, Panasonic announced a plan to increase annual production of heat pumps at its facility in Czechia to 500,000 units by March 2026. It started production of air-to-water indoor heat pumps in Plzen, Czechia, in 2018. It also launched an Internet of Things-based maintenance business in Denmark in the last fiscal year.