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Hot summers, such as those that have occurred in Germany over the past three years, have an impact on people’s health and wellbeing. In their home offices and living spaces, many people start sweating just thinking about summer. In buildings, the internal loads caused by people, lighting and devices, as well as solar radiation due to large glass facades and high insulation standards, quickly lead to the rooms overheating. In order to achieve tolerable temperatures when working, living and sleeping, air conditioning is crucial in many places. But air conditioning systems are often referred to as a driver of climate change or even a climate killer – a prejudice that can be easily refuted, especially in the local latitudes, due to the existing technologies and legal regulations. These five characteristics provide orientation and security when buying an air conditioning system.
Choosing the right air conditioning system depends on several factors, such as the size of the room and building, the number of rooms to be air-conditioned or whether it is a retrofit in an existing building or a new one.
Split air conditioning systems are usually installed in private households. Daikin’s split air conditioning systems are air-to-air heat pumps that not only cool, but also always heat. Air-to-air heat pumps are also used for air conditioning in commercially used rooms. These special heat pumps can cool, heat and even process hot water (see info box “Not all air-conditioning systems are the same”). A qualified refrigeration and air conditioning company advises on the selection and takes over the installation.
The following features also provide security when choosing an environmentally friendly device.
Feature 1: high energy efficiency
How energy efficient a device is depends on various influencing factors, for example the type of technology used or the refrigerant. The energy efficiency of air conditioning units is measured using defined key figures. The currently valid indicators for energy efficiency in air conditioning systems are SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) and SCOP (Seasonal Coefficient of Performance). Both SEER and SCOP show the ratio of usable cooling or heating power in relation to the electrical power used. The SEER is used for the cooling capacity and the SCOP for the heating capacity. A SEER of 5.00 means, for example, that an annual average of 5 kWh of cooling capacity is achieved with only 1 kWh of electricity consumption. The top models from Daikin achieve an annual average of over 8 kWh cooling capacity from 1 kWh power consumption.
A SCOP of 4.2 means that an annual average of 4.2 kWh of thermal energy is generated for every 1 kWh of electricity consumed. For example, values of 4.0 or higher are ideal. The higher these values, the lower the power consumption.
Daikin’s heat pump technology gets up to three quarters of its heating energy from renewable energies such as air, geothermal energy or wastewater and a quarter from electricity. As a result, compared to conventional systems, operating costs can be reduced and the CO2-Emissions can be reduced by 30 – 40%[1]. If a heat pump is operated with electricity from the in-house photovoltaic system, even CO2– are cooled and heated neutrally.
Feature 2: Climate-friendly refrigerant
So-called refrigerants circulate in closed circuits in heat pumps and air conditioning systems. These are liquids specially produced for the requirements of air conditioning technology. Their most important property is that they can change their physical state quickly even at low temperatures – from liquid to gaseous and back again to transport cold or heat.
Refrigerants with a high Global Warming Potential (GWP) damage the climate if they get into the atmosphere. If such refrigerants are released from air conditioning units, so-called direct emissions arise. For responsible use, it is therefore important to have the devices serviced regularly to ensure that they are leak-proof.
In addition, legal regulations such as the EU F-Gas Regulation and the requirements for better climate compatibility of the systems have resulted in the Market has developed towards refrigerants with a low GWP, such as the refrigerant R-32. In addition to a low GWP, the refrigerant R-32 has other advantages: R-32 operated systems have a comparatively lower power consumption. R-32 is a pure refrigerant that can be easily handled and recycled.
“With its R-32 series, Daikin, as the world’s leading manufacturer of air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump systems, offers an extensive portfolio of innovative split units and heat pumps with excellent efficiency values and, overall, a comparatively low CO2Footprint, ”confirms Bernhard Schöner, Head of Corporate Communication at Daikin Airconditioning Germany GmbH.
Feature 3: Integrated energy saving technologies
In order for air conditioning systems to function properly, they should be optimally set. Intelligent control systems and energy saving settings avoid unnecessary consumption. Important is also that high temperature differences between outside and inside are avoided and the rooms are not overcooled[2].
The so-called inverter technology ensures optimal efficiency of air conditioning units. The principle is simple: inverters adjust the energy used to the actual demand. An inverter is an energy-saving technology that prevents energy from being wasted in air conditioning systems by regulating the compressor speed. The inverter shortens the start-up time of the system, which means that the desired room temperature is reached more quickly and is maintained at a constant level. “In the meantime, very high efficiency requirements apply to air conditioning systems across Europe, so that they can no longer be compared with the former on / off systems and use the electricity used very sparingly,” explains Bernhard Schöner.
Feature 4: Heating and cooling with a heat pump
Heat pumps can reverse the refrigerant cycle. This means that they can both heat and cool rooms and even provide hot water. Thus, the heat pump technology removes the separation between heating and air conditioning and combines both in one system. This technology with the VRV systems (see info box) has been used for a long time in commercial buildings and offers an optimal all-round solution there.
Feature 5: High quality filter systems and pollution-reducing technologies
In addition to the room temperature, modern air conditioning systems also regulate the humidity and air purity, which also has a positive effect on health. Special filters in the air conditioning units optimize the air quality and free the air we breathe from allergens, dust, odors, viruses, bacteria, pollen and mold spores. Self-cleaning filters are now even built into many split devices.
Technologies that decompose pollutants and odors also work in many modern air conditioning units today. One of these technologies is Daikin’s patented Flash Streamer technology, which is installed as standard in many Daikin indoor air conditioning units, such as the Stylish wall-mounted unit or the Perfera floor-standing unit. The effectiveness of this air purification technology has been scientifically investigated. A study by the University of Tokyo and the Okayama University of Science confirms in laboratory tests that the Daikin Flash Streamer technology successfully inactivated more than 99.9% of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) after three hours of irradiation.
A differentiated approach to air conditioning is worthwhile
Overall, it can be seen that modern air conditioning systems are highly complex, energy-efficient all-rounders. It is therefore worthwhile to take a differentiated, multi-perspective view of the devices, which are definitely used for energy-efficient, CO2– contribute to poor and climate-friendly cooling, heating and air purification of buildings.
Air conditioning is not just air conditioning
So-called split air conditioning units are used as a permanently installed variant in private apartments and single-family houses. In this design, the device is divided into two parts: an outdoor unit with a refrigeration machine and an indoor unit that is installed in the room to be air-conditioned. With a mono-split device, one room is air-conditioned. With a multi-split system, up to five indoor units can be operated with just one outdoor unit. In addition, these devices can usually do more than just cool: They can also heat and purify the air – and thus ensure healthy indoor air all year round.
In the commercial sector, so-called VRV / VRF systems are often installed for air conditioning. VRV is the abbreviation for Variable Refrigerant Volume and is a protected term from Daikin. VRF refers to devices from other manufacturers and means: Variable Refrigerant Flow (variable refrigerant mass flow). A VRV system is an air-to-air heat pump. Heat pumps are all-rounders: They can cool, heat and prepare hot water. With an outdoor unit dimensioned for industry and commerce, up to 64 indoor units in office buildings, hotels, shops, complex commercial and also large residential buildings, etc. can be supplied and year-round building air conditioning can be ensured.
[2] Fact portal – cooling and heating: The right attitude is important, accessed May 2021
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