Installer spoke to Enrique Vilamitjana – Managing Director at Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions Europe – about the latest trends and the future of the heat pump market:
Panasonic has launched new products as the race to Net Zero starts to pick up including the new ECOi-W R290 chiller for larger buildings, the K Generation Aquarea heat pumps for homes, and the next generation of Air Purification with nanoe™X technology. So what trends are we currently seeing?
“What everyone wants is security for the future,” Enrique explained. “We manufacture heat pumps and we have exciting new innovations that we’ve recently launched, but what we’re finding is that we’re introducing people to these types of products for the first time. They don’t know that these products exist, or these solutions are available.
“With the launch of the ECOi-W R290 chiller, we’re moving to hydronics and that’s very important. We’re offering people a hydronic solution, with the R290 refrigerant. That’s one of the challenges we’ve had in moving to hydronics because it’s new for us. At Panasonic, we’re good at manufacturing heat pumps and nanoe™ X solutions, but now, with our new chillers, we can go to market and offer something that’s completely different.
“You see the industry talks a lot about heat pumps, but what does that actually mean? In the UK there are targets to install 600,000 a year by 2028. That’s great but what we’re not talking about is the types of heat pumps and the types of systems. At Panasonic, we’re seeing a rise in air-to-air heat pump sales in Germany, France and the UK, and I think it’s due to saving money. I talk to other manufacturers, and they say similar things. Air-to-air heat pumps are growing in popularity as well. You can buy a small unit to heat one room for example, and it will get you through the winter. There’s a big rise in interest in these more affordable solutions.
“I use an air-to-air heat pump in my home and we can install these systems in the UK. Just because the country isn’t traditionally used to it, because they’re more accustomed to wet systems, it doesn’t mean it’s not a strong option. There are solutions for every budget and every property.
“The biggest challenge for the heat pump industry is to change people’s mindsets. It is different. I’ve had long discussions with my brother because he didn’t want a heat pump, as he thought it would be too expensive. Now, with energy prices where they are, he’s sending me messages showing me how much he is saving, and he’s delighted. That’s what we have to get out to installers and end users.”
nanoe™ X
nanoe™ X is Panasonic’s air purification technology. It is an electrostatic atomization technology that collects invisible moisture in the air and applies high voltage to it to produce “hydroxyl radicals contained in water”. This inhibits pollutants and helps keep surfaces, soft furnishings and the indoor environment clean. Enrique explained to us the next generation of this technology.
“nanoe™ X has been very successful for us,” he said. “It’s unique and it matches what we know that Europe wants and that’s good air quality. Again, we’ve moved this innovation forward. Before if you wanted nanoe™ X technology, you’d have to have a full Panasonic air conditioning system. We want to offer this solution to everyone so now, if you already have an existing system from another brand but you want nanoe™ X, we can offer it to you.
“We need to be open to a big market, the new build market is great but the retrofit market is huge. Why shouldn’t we offer this solution to people with existing systems that aren’t Panasonic? There’s a huge demand for this type of technology, and it’s good for society.
“We have also launched a standalone product, which covers 20 square metres, so it can be used in a home with no problems at all.
“It’s a good option for installers to get involved in the air quality conversation. When we have a problem with the water in the home, we call the plumber. When we have a problem with the heating, we call the heating engineer, but who do customers call when they want air quality solutions? These are products that installers can add to their businesses quickly and easily. That’s our main challenge, the natural route to market is installers, so we want them to have one of these on the van. They can turn up to a repair or an install, and then they can start that air quality conversation, with a solution ready to install there and then.”
The next 5 years
With legally binding carbon targets to hit, changes in building regulations and more awareness of the technology, the UK heat pump market is set for a rapid rise. What will that look like for manufacturers and installers, and how can they ensure that they’re selecting the right products for the job?
“The market is going to change,” Enrique explained. “I think it’s going to move from demand-driven, which it is now, to offer-driven, and we’ll see much more competition. Consumers need to make sure they’re buying their products from a proven manufacturer who will be there to support them in the next decade. Whenever a market is booming, you see a lot of new entrants and a lot of competition. As an industry, we’re not really talking about servicing yet, as so much attention is on heat pump installs, but engineers and customers need to make sure they’re not going to buy a system now and be abandoned in a few years time. I can see this becoming a frustration with consumers.
“The big focus for us is to give installers access to products that are stress-free. They have to be great products that work very well, but the service, the technical support, the training, that all needs to be there as well.
“The products also need to be futureproofed. IoT and connected technology is coming fast. Look at your phone, you want to buy a model that gets updated so it stays top of the line. Younger people are used to that now, as technology has changed. You may not even notice that it’s happened, but your products are getting updated over the air. That’s the expectation now and something that will follow in heat pump systems. If tomorrow you can connect your product to your service provider, and they offer you a special tariff, you want your product updated so you can take advantage of that. For my generation, and my parents’ generation, we buy a product, and that’s the product. The younger generations will want smarter systems, they’re used to this, and they will be the users over the coming decades.”
Get hands-on with Panasonic’s latest technology at InstallerSHOW. InstallerSHOW is the UK’s largest event for heat, water, air and energy technology professionals, heating to the NEC Birmingham on 27-29 June 2023. Register for your FREE entry pass today.
