Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd. (MHI Thermal Systems) has won a 2019 (22nd) Environment Minister's Award for Global Warming Prevention Activity from the Japanese Ministry of Environment for the centrifugal chillers ETI-Z series with built-in inverter panel adopting a low-GWP refrigerant that results in an extremely low environmental load. The award was given in the "Technological Development and Commercialization" category for MHI Thermal Systems' activity to promote adoption of the ETI-Z series of high-efficiency centrifugal chillers adapting the low-GWP refrigerant. An awards ceremony took place in Tokyo on December 2. This is the third time this year that the ETI-Z series has won an award for its technologies contributing to protection of the global environment and energy saving.
The ETI-Z series adopts the HFO-1233zd(E) refrigerant having a GWP of 1 (same as CO2 ) and Zero ODP. The series was launched in 2015 as Japan's first centrifugal chillers adopting a low-GWP refrigerant. The ETI-Z series have a rated COP of 6.7 and IPLV of 11.2: both readings rank among the highest levels in this class. It is useful to reduce annual power consumption and CO2 emissions by approximately 60% by replacement our previous series using a high-GWP hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant to the ETI-Z series chiller. In spite of their enhanced performance, the ETI-Z series have been designed to save space by suppressing expansion of the required installation area through innovations such as an aerodynamically shaped compressor and a new heat exchanger structure. Together these features are possible to replace from an existing product smoothly.
In addition to their outstanding environmental performance and energy and space savings, the ETI-Z series can also be used as a heat pump to supply hot water, making them well suited to applications for a low-temperature heating equipment at food or beverage plants, etc. The ETI-Z series are the mainstream products in Japan, this also been delivered to Singapore as well. More in the future, centrifugal chillers adopting low-GWP refrigerant are expected to increase the demand.
The Environment Minister's awards are given to individuals or groups (including schools) recognized as having made significant achievements in preventing global warming. Selection of award winner in the Technological Development and Commercialization category is based on the "L2-Tech: Leading and Low-carbon Technology" concept devised in March 2014 by the Environment Minister at that time. The four models in the ETI-Z series received L2-Tech certification in 2018.
Encouraged by receipt of the Environment Minister's award, MHI Thermal Systems will carry on its initiatives to develop technologies and products that will contribute further to saving energy. In particular, applying its integrated technical capabilities availing of its broad scope of technologies in the air-conditioning and refrigeration business, we will contribute to environmental protection through the realization of optimal thermal solutions that respond to the diverse needs of its customers.
