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A side-by-side trial at Mitsubishi Electric’s UK headquarters found the R32 City Multi YXM VRF system used 31% less energy over a year than an existing R410A system serving comparable office space. The company says the result exceeded its expected 20% saving, and monitoring will continue to gather a full year of data.
A trial of Mitsubishi Electric’s R32 City Multi YXM VRF system is reported to have shown a 31% annual reduction in energy use compared with an existing R410A system, according to the manufacturer. The trial, conducted at the company’s UK headquarters in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, replaced equipment serving half of a ground-floor sales office with the R32 model while the other half continued to be served by an R410A City Multi YJM VRF system installed in 2016.
The two systems were configured to make the comparison as close as possible. Both use 37.5kW outdoor units providing simultaneous heating and cooling, and each is connected to six 2.5kW and four 3.2kW indoor units. Energy consumption of both systems was measured through a single Mitsubishi Branch Controller box, allowing the manufacturer to log usage of the R32 and R410A installations side by side.
The systems have run in parallel since January, meaning the comparison has spanned a wide range of UK weather conditions. Mitsubishi Electric VRF specialist Rafiul Islam said outdoor temperatures during the trial ranged from as low as -1°C in winter to above 30°C during summer heatwaves, so, in his words, “the units have really been tested.”
Mitsubishi Electric said the 31% energy reduction exceeded its own expectations for the trial. “We’re particularly pleased that the test results exceed the expected savings of 20% in running costs,” Islam commented. The company added that monitoring will continue so a full year of data can be analysed. The R32 City Multi YXM was launched in heat pump and heat recovery versions from 12kW to 112kW at the beginning of this year, featuring a patented vertical flat tube heat exchanger, new defrost technology and what the company describes as high levels of seasonal efficiency.
Why the Refrigerant Switch Matters
The result, if borne out by a full year of data, is relevant to building owners and specifiers weighing F-gas-driven refrigerant transitions against concerns about performance and cost. R410A is being phased down under European and UK F-gas regulations because of its high global warming potential, and R32 — with a much lower GWP — has become the leading replacement in many air conditioning and VRF applications. Demonstrating that an R32 system can cut energy use rather than merely match an R410A installation strengthens the commercial case for retrofitting or specifying R32 VRF in commercial buildings, where heating and cooling typically account for a large share of energy bills.
Because the trial compares a new R32 system against a 2016-vintage R410A system, the savings also partly reflect general product generation improvements — heat exchanger design, defrost logic and compressor efficiency — rather than the refrigerant alone. For organisations planning replacement of ageing R410A plant, that combined effect is arguably the more practical number, since any replacement will bundle refrigerant change with newer technology. Readers should note, however, that the figures are manufacturer-reported and drawn from a single site and application.
How the Hatfield Trial Was Set Up
Mitsubishi Electric conducted the trial at its own UK headquarters in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, using its ground-floor sales office as a live test environment. Equipment serving half of the office was replaced with the R32 City Multi YXM, while the other half retained an R410A City Multi YJM VRF system installed in 2016. The matched configuration — identical outdoor unit capacity and the same mix of indoor units on each side — was designed to isolate the difference between the two systems’ performance under the same building conditions, occupancy and weather.
The R32 City Multi YXM range was launched at the beginning of this year in heat pump and heat recovery versions spanning 12kW to 112kW. According to the manufacturer, the units were re-engineered for the refrigerant change, incorporating a patented vertical flat tube heat exchanger and new defrost technology alongside claims of high seasonal efficiency.
“We’re particularly pleased that the test results exceed the expected savings of 20% in running costs.”
— Rafiul Islam, VRF specialist, Mitsubishi Electric
Limits of the Manufacturer’s Data
The 31% figure is manufacturer-reported from a trial conducted on the company’s own premises, not an independently audited study, and no third-party verification has been published. The comparison is against a system installed in 2016, so it is not clear how much of the saving comes from the R32 refrigerant itself versus nine years of general product development. It is also not yet stated whether the 31% energy reduction translates directly into an equivalent 31% cost saving, since Islam’s stated expectation referred to running costs while the headline figure refers to energy use. Full-year data has not yet been analysed, and results from a single sales office application may not generalise to other building types, climates or load profiles.
Full-Year Monitoring and Wider Rollout
Mitsubishi Electric says it will continue monitoring both systems to analyse a full year of performance data, which should confirm whether the 31% reduction holds across all four seasons. The R32 City Multi YXM range in heat pump and heat recovery versions from 12kW to 112kW is already on the market, so installers and specifiers can evaluate the equipment now. Whether Mitsubishi Electric publishes the full-year figures or subjects them to independent verification has not been announced. Building operators considering replacement of R410A plant, particularly ahead of F-gas phase-down milestones, are likely to watch the confirmed full-year numbers closely before committing to large-scale retrofits.
Key Questions
How much energy did the R32 VRF system save compared with R410A?
According to Mitsubishi Electric, the R32 City Multi YXM used 31% less energy over the trial period than the R410A City Multi YJM serving a comparable half of the same office. The figure is manufacturer-reported and based on interim data; a full year of monitoring is still under way.
Was the comparison fair?
The two systems were closely matched: both used 37.5kW outdoor units with identical indoor unit configurations, measured through a single Branch Controller. However, the R410A system was installed in 2016, so part of the saving likely reflects newer product design as well as the refrigerant change.
Does a 31% energy saving mean a 31% cost saving?
Not necessarily. The 31% figure refers to energy use, while the company’s stated expectation was a 20% saving in running costs. Mitsubishi Electric has not yet published a detailed cost analysis alongside the energy data.
When was the R32 City Multi YXM launched?
The range launched at the beginning of this year in heat pump and heat recovery versions covering 12kW to 112kW, featuring a patented vertical flat tube heat exchanger and new defrost technology.
Will independent verification of the results be available?
That is not yet clear. The trial was conducted by Mitsubishi Electric at its own headquarters, and the company has committed to analysing a full year of data but has not announced third-party verification.
Source: rss
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