Sanyo sets up heating division for heat-pumps
Sanyo Air Conditioners has set up a heating division to develop the market for its heat-pump systems.
Graham Wright, head of the division, says, ‘Sanyo has for many years pioneered the development of heat-pump technology. Its new generation of carbon-dioxide systems, coupled with the latest HFC technology, provide industry-leading performance and are set to challenge the supremacy of the gas-fired boiler in the domestic and small-commercial heating market.’
The flagship product is the ECO CO2-based air-to-water heat pump that can produce hot water at up to 65°C, hot enough to use in traditional radiators and to generate domestic hot water directly.
These inverter-controlled heat pumps achieve COPs of up to 3.75. A system consists of an outdoor heat-pump unit containing the compressor and refrigerant circuit (using CO2), linked to an indoor unit containing a heat exchanger and hot-water tank. Carbon emissions are around half those of a comparable gas-fired boiler, and these heat pumps do not require an annual landlord’s safety certificate.
Sanyo has developed a training course to equip the trade to install and service ECO CO2 systems. The course is subsidised and being held at various locations. It enables contractors to become approved installers and apply for future grant opportunities.
The company is also introducing an HFC-based heat-pump system with capacities from 5 to 28 kW. It can be used with traditional fan-coil units to provide both heating and cooling. This split system comprises an outdoor unit linked to an indoor Hydrobox — complete with pump, controls and back-up heater — and is targeted at mainstream applications where the exceptional performance of the ECO system is not required.
