Toshiba brings R32 systems to UK
Toshiba latest generation of luxury residential air-conditioning systems are based on refrigerant R32, which has a much lower global-warming potential (GWP) than the commonly used R410A. The GWP of R32 is 675, compared to 2088 for R410A. In addition the charge of R32 can be 30% less than for R410A for the same cooling capacity.
R32 is used in the Mirai premium range of residential wall-mounted split units. They are available with cooling capacities from 1.5 to 4.5 kW.
Toshiba has been producing R32 units for the Japanese market since 2014, and some 225 000 units have been installed, without incident. Across all manufacturers, there are over five million R32 units installed in Japan alone.
Looking ahead, Toshiba has no plans to introduce R32 for larger systems in the UK as the company believes the optimum application range for this refrigerant on technical and performance grounds is probably in smaller units.