Spotlight on: Panasonic Heating & Cooling’s hydronics system range
We spoke to Simon Lamberton Pine, Business Development Manager Hydronics at Panasonic Heating & Cooling, about Panasonic Hydro and the company’s range of hydronic systems.
Q: Please tell us about Panasonic Heating & Cooling’s UK offering for specifiers.
A: Panasonic’s full product portfolio includes:
- Air-to-water heat pumps for both the residential and commercial sector
- Split systems (RAC and PAC including multi-split systems)
- Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems
- Residential and commercial ventilation
- Commercial Hydronic products including chillers, heat pumps, fan coil units and water source heat pumps
- Close control
- Refrigeration.
At Panasonic we offer a full portfolio for the specifier on most HVAC projects. And we have a dedicated specification team of professional engineers to assist in the design process backed up by technical pre-sales and post-sales services including remote monitoring services and maintenance package options.
Our in-house design services include the Cold Chain CO₂ calculator, AC select for chillers and our hydronics range, as well as VRF and Aquaria heat pump design tools.
Q: What is Panasonic Hydro?
A: In the context of Panasonic’s UK hydronics portfolio, the term ‘Hydro’ is used to describe our hydronic systems range (water-based heating/cooling systems) rather than purely air-to-air solutions.
A key point for specifiers to note is our range is referenced in the UK for hydronic applications: air-cooled chiller/heat-pump units, water-cooled chillers/heat-pumps, fan-coil units, water source heat pumps and rooftops.
In short, ‘Panasonic Hydro’ (as a shorthand) refers to Panasonic’s hydronic solution offering, designed for light commercial and large-scale buildings.
Q: Why should built environment professionals consider water source heat pumps (WSHP)?
A: There are numerous reasons why water source heat pumps should be taken under consideration, including:
High efficiency and simultaneous heating/cooling capability
The water loop system enables distributed cooling and heating production at different temperatures with a single water circuit. The recovery of condensation heat units in cooling can be used for units in heating and vice-versa. What that means for a specifier is: you can design a loop that provides a medium temperature water circuit (16-32°C) which serves multiple indoor units (indoor package terminals water-source heat pumps), some of which may be in cooling mode while others are in heating mode. The heat rejected by one can be used by another, improving overall system efficiency.
Simplified refrigerant distribution and reduced refrigerant charge
In their water-loop systems there is reduced refrigerant charge (no refrigerant pipes to an outdoor unit required) and a low risk of leakage (hermetically sealed systems).
For specifiers, that means less refrigerant in the occupied zones, fewer refrigerant-pipe runs through risers or floors, and potentially lower installation risk (and lower refrigerant leak liability).
Flexible zoning and building layouts
Because indoor units connect to the water loop, you can have many independently controllable terminal units, enabling per-zone control (offices, hotel rooms, retail, public buildings etc.)
Each unit is autonomous and has its own controller, allowing also its own temperature control and safety.
For specifiers, this means good flexibility for mixed-use buildings, retrofit scenarios, phased installation, or future expansion.
Lower temperature drop in distribution and potential for reuse of existing piping
In larger buildings, a water loop allows longer distribution runs with less drop than refrigerant lines, and often easier maintenance or servicing of terminal units.
Potential for heat recovery and energy optimisation
Because our indoor units are reversible and connected to the same loop, you can recover heat from cooling zones and feed it to heating zones, reducing external heat rejection and increasing overall building efficiency.
For the built environment professional this can reduce plant size with our new range of ASHP designed for indoor water loop systems, reducing energy consumption and simplifying services.
Better integration for buildings with both heating and cooling demands
Buildings like hotels, offices, shopping centres, multi-residential developments often require heating and cooling simultaneously, or at least varying loads. Panasonic promote those application types for water source heat pumps.
For specifiers, this kind of system supports those simultaneous demands and can simplify overall HVAC design.
In summary, water source heat pumps (and water-loop hydronic systems) are worth considering because they provide high efficiency, flexibility, lower refrigerant risk, good zoning/control, and are well-suited to modern building demands (mixed uses, simultaneous heat/cool, decarbonisation).
Q: What is WSHP Building Loop Technology?
A: Referred to as a ‘water-loop system’ or ‘water source heat pump’, this is a system where indoor units are connected to a closed water loop that acts as a heat exchange medium. Sometimes this is called building loop technology.
The main characteristics are:
- A closed water circuit connects multiple indoor units (water source heat pumps).
- The fluid in the water circuit remains at a moderate temperature range (16-32 °C) when heating/cooling loads are balanced.
- Because the water loop carries heat/cool around the building, refrigerant piping does not need to run between each indoor unit and the outdoor plant. Reduced refrigerant charge (no refrigerant pipes to an outdoor unit required).
- Each indoor unit (water-source heat pump or heat pump terminal) itself contains a compressor and two heat exchangers: one to the water loop and one to the ambient air (for indoor climate).
- It allows decentralised production of heating and cooling, and central loop balancing of loads: e.g. units in cooling mode feed heat into the loop which can be used for units in heating mode.
In effect, as a specifier, “building loop technology” means you design a building-wide hydronic loop (two pipes supply & return) that connects all terminal indoor units; Our new range of heat pump units exchange with that loop, and the loop delivers the conditioning to the terminals. This reduces refrigerant piping complexity, helps with maintenance/regulation (fewer refrigerant circuits running through occupiable spaces), and supports high-efficiency load-sharing and heat recovery.
Q: What are the benefits of R290 refrigerants?
A: Panasonic are driving our hydronic heat pump solutions and WSHP systems using natural refrigerant R290 (propane). The benefits of this are:
R290 has an extremely low Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 0.02
Because of its thermodynamic properties, R290 can deliver high efficiency, including good capability for higher temperature outputs, which means it can better serve systems with existing radiators or higher flow temperatures demands.
R290 systems can operate at lower pressures (thus lower mechanical stress) and require lower refrigerant charges compared with synthetic refrigerants.
From a specifier’s viewpoint: using R290 means a future-proof refrigerant choice (increasing regulatory pressure on HFC/HFO refrigerants), improved environmental credentials, lower indirect CO₂ from energy consumption, lower refrigerant risk, and potential to meet higher temperature heating demands with a heat pump rather than just underfloor or low-temp radiators.
Although R290 is classed as A3 (flammable) in many jurisdictions, modern designs keep refrigerant charge enclosed and outside the occupied zones, and Panasonic systems are factory sealed units with leak detection protections. The design and installation must follow regulations for flammable refrigerants, but for specifiers and building designers the recent availability of R290 for hydronic heat pumps is a strong signal of advancing performance and sustainability.
Q: Where can specifiers go to learn more about Panasonic Heating & Cooling?
A: You can find more information at our website: https://www.panasonicproclub.com/GB_en/login/
