On day one, Panasonic hosted a press conference attended by journalists and VIPs from across Europe, where three VIP speakers from Panasonic discussed the latest developments to support its growing presence in the European market.
Mr Masaki Arizona, director of global sales, shared news about Panasonic’s new HVAC manufacturing line which recently opened in the Czech Republic. The new facility will shorten lead times for customers in Europe and reduce the environmental impact of long-haul product transportation.
Gaining its place in the refrigeration world, the spotlight was on Panasonic’s latest cold chain solution, the CO2 VF Series. This product range takes advantage of the naturally occurring gas CO2 to provide retail and commercial markets with a more sustainable option for cold storage rooms. Mr Shigaro Dohno, managing officer, food retail and commercial equipment business, outlined Panasonic’s environmental vision for 2050 in Europe with CO2 solutions playing a key role.
Mr Dohno highlighted the fact that Panasonic is already the market leader for commercial refrigeration in both Japan and China. With 50 years of experience within the commercial refrigeration market under its belt, Panasonic will draw on previous success to achieve its goals in Europe. Working closely with retail partners across Asia, Panasonic has developed CO2 solutions that help to reduce F-Gas global warming impact, offering up to 25 per cent energy savings for freezing and up to 16.2 per cent energy saving for refrigeration. As of 2017, there are now hundreds of projects installed with Panasonic CO2 units across Europe.
In Hall 4, the Panasonic booth showcased key innovations including the new CO2 condensing units and highly efficient Panasonic Hybrid GHP/VRF, which intelligently combines gas driven (GHP) and electric (EHP) technologies within one solution. Hybrid VRF is an ideal solution for high demand applications such as hotels, apartment blocks and offices.
Another big theme for the show was the utilisation of R32 refrigerant. Panasonic is fulfilling its promise for a full switch to R32 for its RAC and PAC solutions to help reduce the impact on global warming. Enrique Vilamitjana, managing director at Panasonic AC & Heating Europe, explained: “Consolidating our portfolio to be compatible with R32 is an important step towards reducing the impact of air conditioning on our environment. For suppliers, it allows them to offer a more sustainable solution, and for installers it introduces the opportunity to offer a more energy-efficient and cost-effective option to clients.”
Visitors to the Panasonic booth also experienced another exciting innovation in the form of a Formula E car simulator. As sponsors of Formula E racing, Panasonic entertained guests with a realistic race simulator that took them on a virtual ride around a Formula E track.