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Mitsubishi Electric reports that an R32 City Multi YXM VRF system used 31% less energy than an existing R410A system in a side-by-side trial at its UK headquarters. The company says monitoring began in January and will continue to build a full year of data; the reported result is from a company-run test, and further details about measurement conditions have not been provided in the source report.
Mitsubishi Electric says a trial at its Hatfield, Hertfordshire, headquarters found that its R32 City Multi YXM variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system used 31% less energy than an existing R410A system serving a comparable part of the company’s ground-floor sales office. The company says monitoring is continuing, so the figure is not yet based on a full year of results.
For the test, Mitsubishi replaced the equipment serving half of the ground-floor sales office with the R32 model. The other half continued to use a City Multi YJM VRF system running on R410A, installed in 2016. The comparison was conducted by Mitsubishi Electric at its own UK headquarters, and the reported saving should be understood as the result of that company-run trial rather than an independently verified industry-wide finding.
The two systems had 37.5 kW outdoor units and supplied simultaneous heating and cooling. Each was connected to six 2.5 kW indoor units and four 3.2 kW indoor units. Mitsubishi said energy consumption for both systems was measured through a single Branch Controller box. The source report does not provide the underlying readings, the precise calculation method behind the 31% figure, or a detailed account of how differences between the two office areas were controlled.
Mitsubishi Electric VRF specialist Rafiul Islam said the company had been operating the systems side by side since January. He cited outdoor temperatures ranging from -1°C to above 30°C during the monitoring period and said the test would continue so the company could analyse a full year of data. Those temperature observations describe conditions encountered so far; they do not by themselves establish how the systems perform across every climate or building type.
What the Reported Saving Could Mean
If the result is replicated in other buildings, lower energy use could reduce the electricity needed to provide heating and cooling, potentially cutting operating costs for sites using VRF equipment. The finding may be of interest to building owners planning replacement systems, facilities managers comparing HVAC options, and contractors specifying equipment for commercial spaces. However, the reported 31% energy reduction is a result from one monitored site and should not be treated as a guaranteed saving for other installations.
Mitsubishi said the trial result exceeds its expected 20% saving in running costs. That is the company’s comparison of the result with its expectation, and the source report does not give a separate calculation of actual running-cost savings, electricity prices, or costs associated with installation. Energy consumption and operating cost are related, but they are not interchangeable: bills also depend on tariffs, operating schedules, maintenance and other site-specific factors.
The test also compares a new R32 unit with an R410A system installed in 2016. The result therefore reflects the equipment and conditions in this particular comparison, not simply a controlled comparison of refrigerants in identical systems. The system design, age, controls, building loads and measurement approach may all affect the outcome. The continuing monitoring could add useful evidence, but the company has not yet reported its full-year results.
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The YXM System and Trial Setup
The equipment under test is Mitsubishi Electric’s City Multi YXM VRF system, which the source report says was launched earlier in the year in heat-pump and heat-recovery versions. The range covers capacities from 12 kW to 112 kW. Mitsubishi describes the system as re-engineered with a patented vertical flat-tube heat exchanger, new defrost technology and high seasonal efficiency. Those are product features stated in the report, not independent performance assessments.
VRF systems distribute heating or cooling through refrigerant circuits connected to multiple indoor units. In this trial, both the newer R32 system and the older R410A system were configured to provide simultaneous heating and cooling to separate halves of the sales office. The shared broad setup makes a side-by-side comparison possible, while the published details are not sufficient to determine whether all relevant operating conditions were identical.
The trial has been running since January, according to Islam, and had encountered both sub-zero temperatures and summer heat above 30°C when he spoke to Cooling Post. Mitsubishi’s stated plan is to keep monitoring performance and analyse a complete year of data. The 31% figure is thus an interim annual energy-use reduction as described in the report, with a full-year assessment still pending.
““We’re particularly pleased that the test results exceed the expected savings of 20% in running costs.””
— Rafiul Islam, Mitsubishi Electric VRF specialist
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Limits of the Hatfield Comparison
The reported result comes from one company-run trial at Mitsubishi Electric’s headquarters. The source report does not include raw energy readings, a full explanation of the annualisation method, statistical uncertainty, or independent verification. It also does not clarify how variations in occupancy, weather exposure, room loads, controls or other conditions between the two office halves were accounted for.
It is not yet clear whether the 31% reduction will hold over a full year or transfer to buildings with different sizes, uses, climates and operating schedules. The reported figure concerns energy use; the company’s statement about expected running-cost savings is not accompanied by bill data or tariff assumptions. No full-year trial result is included in the report.
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Full-Year Monitoring Still Ahead
Mitsubishi Electric says it will continue monitoring the R32 and R410A systems and analyse a full year of performance data. That assessment should provide a longer observation period than the results described so far, although the source report does not give a publication date for the completed analysis or specify whether the findings will be independently reviewed.
For now, the confirmed development is the company’s report of a 31% lower annual energy-use figure from its Hatfield comparison. Readers considering a similar system will need site-specific assessments and further performance data before assuming the same reduction or estimating a financial return.
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Key Questions
What did the Mitsubishi Electric trial report?
Mitsubishi Electric reported that its R32 City Multi YXM VRF system used 31% less energy than an existing R410A City Multi YJM system in a comparison at the company’s Hatfield headquarters.
Was the 31% result independently verified?
The source report describes a trial conducted by Mitsubishi Electric. It does not identify an independent verifier or publish the raw readings and detailed calculation method.
How were the systems compared?
The R32 equipment served one half of the ground-floor sales office, while the other half continued to use the R410A system installed in 2016. Both had 37.5 kW outdoor units and connected indoor units with the same stated capacities and counts.
Does the result mean customers will save 31% on bills?
No. The reported 31% figure is an energy-use reduction in this trial. The report does not provide actual bill savings or account for electricity tariffs, installation costs and differences between buildings.
What happens next with the trial?
Mitsubishi Electric says it will keep monitoring both systems to analyse a full year of data. The report does not state when that analysis will be completed or released.
Source: rss
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