Panasonic Australia has announced the introduction of a new 3-pipe Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) air conditioner range for commercial buildings and large residential developments – which boasts superior energy efficiency, design flexibility, comfort and ease of use.

The range allows simultaneous heating and cooling operation in different rooms via a single VRF system, and expands on the two-pipe VRF range launched by the company in 2012. The new three-pipe systems provide the ultimate in operating flexibility, ensuring occupants remain comfortable at all times.

The new VRF products respond to the initiative to reduce energy costs in commercial buildings with market leading energy efficiency – for example, an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of 4.50 on the 22.4kW system. The systems also offer the potential for further power savings by sharing heating or cooling energy between one room and another.

Panasonic Australia air conditioning product marketing manager Shane Quinn says, “We are very excited to announce this superior addition to our well-established commercial lineup. This announcement really completes our product offering and we look forward to building on the success we have seen with our two-pipe VRF range.

“The market has told us what they want in a VRF system, and that is energy efficiency, design flexibility, and finally, comfort and ease of use for the end user. This new range has been designed to satisfy all three, and the initial response from consultants, engineers, and installers has been extremely positive.”

The new range allows capacities from 22.4kW to 118.0kW, and up to 52 indoor units in a single system, to ensure all building sizes are catered for. It features 11 different types of indoor units ranging in capacity from 2.2kW to 28.0kW, totaling 72 different models.

The operating temperature range is -20 to +46 degrees, which ensures all of Australia is covered. Installation flexibility is also assured as up to 500m of piping can be used, and indoor units can be connected at up to 150% of the outdoor capacity. The VRF systems also feature an extensive lineup of individual control, central control, and BMS interface control options.

Featuring inverter control technology, all Panasonic VRF systems are Demand Response Management (DRM) ready. With this control, power consumption at times of peak load can be set in three steps to deliver optimum performance. This helps to reduce annual power consumption, with minimal loss in comfort.