Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning has launched its first cold-climate variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pump available in North America.

The air365 Max with HeatForce is a top-flow VRF heating and cooling system that delivers seamless comfort, best-in-class energy efficiency and easy installation and maintenance for professionals, architects and commercial building owners seeking to cut operational costs and carbon footprints.

Source: Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning

The system can operate at 100% heating capacity with outdoor temperatures as low as -13° F and at 90% capacity down to -22° F. Its energy efficiency is made possible by SmoothDrive 2.0, which allows the system to control compressor rotation speed with precision, significantly increasing efficiency at partial load. The ability to directly control the capacity, even at low loads, helps increase efficiency up to 39% under part-load conditions, and decreases running costs, leading to lower carbon dioxide emissions. SmoothDrive 2.0 also enables air365 Max to operate at stable and precise temperatures.

Installation of air365 Max VRF systems is simplified for contractors with airCloud Tap, an app designed to help HVAC professionals install, read and change Hitachi equipment settings and read detailed diagnostics data with ease on mobile devices. With the app, installers have access to more than 200 setting parameters to optimize the equipment operations. Contactless, near-field communication allows installers to configure the equipment and customize settings by up to 50% faster.

Available with heat pump and heat recovery modes up to 24 tons, the air365 Max with HeatForce has an energy efficiency ratio of up to 12, as well as a coefficient of performance of up to 4.2 without the use of a backup auxiliary heat source. The wider outdoor unit operating temperature range and increased heating and cooling capacity is made possible with Hitachi’s vapor-injection compressor technology. Further, the systems are equipped with frost detection, which allows for longer periods between defrost cycles.