Kaori introduces commercial CO₂ heat pump to Chinese market

Kaori’s entrance to the Chinese commercial heat pump market in 2015 was a welcome one. With the revised China Environmental Protection Law to take effect in 2015, the company is intent on meeting the increasing demands for CO₂ heat pumps.

There’s no doubt that the increasing popularity of CO₂ heat pumps in commercial heating in China represents significant opportunities for Kaori. The company’s CO₂ heat pump, which is showcased amid an impressive line-up at Chillventa 2014, can reach COP as high as 4.6 and can operate at ambient temperature of between -20°C ~43°C.

A leading thermal and hydrogen technology company, Kaori has entered the market with the express purpose of targeting commercial public facility heating applications. Currently in China, CO₂ heat pumps are mainly used in commercial space heating and hot water for public buildings, hospitals, universities and rail transport.
 

Kaori CO₂ heat pump beating the chill at Chillventa 2014

Given the diverse climate zones in China, the country’s southern warmer ambient temperatures provide the most suitable conditions for CO₂ heat pumps to operate. But Kaori’s solution also targets the cold temperatures in Northern China, where CO₂ as a refrigerant is ideal, given its solid performance under ambient temperatures as low as -20°C. In addition, Kaori’s CO₂ heat pumps can operate at ambient temperatures as low as -20°C to 43°C.

The heat pump has heating capacity of 70kW and can be applied in a wide variety of facilities, including hotels, pools, government buildings, agriculture production, and pre-heating. Energy savings and reduced running costs, as well as an impressive COP of 4.6, have been achieved.
 

Kaori quality paired with Japanese and German precision

The model introduces the latest technology with components from Germany and Japan, in addition to Kaori’s own CO₂ plate heat exchanger:
- High efficiency exhaust fan with variable speed controls and low noise
- Control panel designed by Kaori with remote monitoring systems and automation of energy management with safety lock
- Kaori designed compact CO₂ plate heat exchanger with corrosion resistance
- Semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors for CO₂ with low vibration and high efficiency (made in Germany)
- Electronic expansion valve for precision flow control, power saving design (made in Japan)
 

Demand rising for CO₂ heat pumps in China

In light of the increasing concern over environmental protection, the demand for heat pumps in China is experiencing rapid uptake. In May 2014, the State Council published the ‘Energy Saving and Reduce Carbon Emission Development Action Plan’, which aims to phase-out 50,000 units of boilers in 2014 and 200,000 steam tons pos-2015. In the government’s 12th five-year plan for energy saving and environmental protection for industry development (released in 2012), CO₂ heat pumps are listed as one of the key technologies to lead the industry in significant energy savings.

Since 2011, China has become one of the leading markets in the world for heat pumps and the number of shipments is soon expected to represent the largest market in the world. In 2012, air-to-air heat pumps made up 85% of the domestic air conditioning market, while ground source heat pumps rose from practically zero market share in 2000 to more than €9.8 billion market value by 2015. Meanwhile, heat pump water heaters account for 3.2% of the total domestic water heater market with total sales expected to increased from €42million in 2003, to €420million by 2020. In regards to heat pumps in commercial applications the sales figures account for almost €4 billion in 2014.
 

About Kaori

Established in 1970, Kaori Heat Treatment Co., Ltd. is a leading thermal and hydrogen technologies company, founded in Hsin-Chuan City, Taiwan. Since 1992, Kaori has offered industrial components including brazed plate heat exchangers, based on the company’s core technologies in heat treatment, brass welding and brazing.

Dedicated to product innovation, green energy and R&D, Kaori launched a new plate heat exchanger for CO₂ in 2014. Kaori integrates environmentally friendly and energy saving technologies into its standards of reliable, quality products.