Panasonic has unveiled a new version of its Eco Cute CO2 heat pump that produces domestic hot water primarily during the day based on solar radiation data. It integrates a special app to obtain solar energy forecasts for the day and plan the water heating hours for the next day.
Panasonic recently released a new version of its Eco Cute CO2 heat pump equipped with a solar radiance shift function that adapts daytime hot water (DHW) production to PV energy generation on the roof.
The new heat pump system, called Ohisama Eco Cute, uses a special app to obtain solar forecasts for the day. This data is then used to predict the optimal start time for heating the water the next day. The scheduled heating time is set between 5:00 PM and 11:00 PM the day before and is displayed on the solar irradiance offset settings screen.
“With the previous version of the heat pump, the water would be heated during the set hours during the day,” the Japanese conglomerate said in a statement, noting that both the Ohisama Eco Cute and the standard Eco Cute systems have a solar charging function which uses excess electricity generated and stored from PV sources. “Now water can be heated with the highest levels of solar radiation.”
Compared to a typical Eco Cute system, the Ohisama Eco Cute can reportedly reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 62% per year and electricity costs for hot water supply by approximately 41%, reducing energy consumption from 625 kWh/year to 577 kWh/year year .
The standard Eco Cute solution can reportedly deliver a water temperature of up to 90 C with a heating coefficient (COP) of approximately 3.9. It includes a hot water storage unit that is said to save energy by keeping bath water temperature at a constant level. It also helps homeowners save energy at night by using the heat from their bath water. In addition, the device reduces energy and water consumption. It can use electricity to generate hot water both during the day and at night, Panasonic said.
The product was developed in collaboration with Tepco Energy Partner, an electricity retailer owned by Japanese utility company Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco).
In September, Panasonic announced it has integrated a range of home energy management solutions into its Aquarea air-to-water heat pumps for commercial and multi-home residential applications. The system was equipped with the Balance smart thermostats and the Heat Pump Optimizer X management system from the German Tado.
“This new integrated solution is managed by a tailor-made, easy-to-use application to deliver maximum heating efficiency while optimizing home comfort,” Panasonic said in a statement. “The app allows users to improve their heat pump settings for greater efficiency, automatically adapting electricity consumption to periods when renewable energy is available, and at a low cost.”
According to Panasonic, the new thermostats can identify the most cost-efficient times for the heat pump to activate automatically.
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