Mitsubishi Electric used its stand at the Ecobuild Show (1-3
March 2011, ExCel, London) to focus attention on the need to upgrade
existing buildings using the energy-saving potential of advanced
heating, cooling, ventilation and power generating equipment.
“We have come a long way with new-build properties as was seen with
some of the innovations at Ecobuild,” explains Donald Daw,
Mitsubishi Electric’s Commercial Director. “However, there remain
millions of homes and commercial buildings which will still be in
use for decades to come so we need to find more ways of reducing
energy consumption here.”
The company used its appearance at the Show (Stand S2030) to
highlight the latest developments in renewable domestic and
commercial heating, with the Ecodan® range of air source heat pumps
that can help both new-build and retro-fit achieve renewable energy
targets, cut fuel bills and provide reliable heating for almost any
building.
Ecodan provides low carbon heating and hot water, with domestic
models available in 5kW; 8.5kW and 14kW units and the commercial
range starting from 43.5kW and scalable up to 688kW.
Also on the stand was advanced Photovoltaic (PV) Arrays which
can not only lower overall power consumption but also help generate
an income through the Government’s Feed In Tariff (FIT) by selling
excess energy back to the grid.
Mitsubishi Electric is unique in the world of PV because it
manufactures all of the individual components – the cells, the
panels and the inverters – and is also the first UK manufacturer to
develop a complete PV Pack, designed specifically for residential
properties with pitched roofs.
“As our buildings become more energy efficient and airtight, proper
ventilation becomes more important and technology is available to
recover heat from stale air to minimise the energy needed to heat or
cool fresh air,” adds Daw. “We need to make sure that we get as much
of this innovative technology working together to maximise the
energy performance of every building, old and new.”
Mitsubishi Electric also showcased its DC Lossnay heat recovery
ventilation system which addressed the need to provide energy
efficient ventilation to well-insulated modern homes. Unlike other
heat recovery ventilation systems, which use aluminium or plastic, Lossnay has a unique paper core which not only maximises energy
transfer but also ensures that the moisture content is balanced.
This avoids dry static air in winter and moist, damp air in summer.
A major advantage of this is that in summer, when houses have heated
up during the day, a special bypass mode can be used to bring in
cool fresh air at night, eliminating the need for mechanical
cooling. Mitsubishi Electric has taken a stance against any major
growth of air conditioning for the UK’s homes as unnecessary and
unsustainable.
In the commercial sector though, the company is a strident advocate
of the increased use of advanced air conditioning to provide energy
efficient buildings with a comfortable internal environment. On the
stand was the new City Multi YJM-A outdoor unit which offers
some of the highest levels of efficient simultaneous heating and
cooling available.
“Legislation is increasingly driving the way we use energy in our
buildings and rising fuel prices mean that there has never been a
better time to find ways of improving things,” explains Daw. “By
using the technology now available together, there is a real
potential to tackle the problem of existing buildings using advanced
energy saving equipment,” he ends.
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