When it comes to air conditioning and ventilation products, Panasonic has generally been one of the major associated brands around the world. One of its more innovations this decade has been the inclusion of ECONAVI technology in its aircon range to help decrease power consumption by sensing when and where people are in a room and adjusting the temperature as necessary. Now, the company is turning its attention towards indoor air quality specifically in China.
The country has cited concerns with the amount of PM2.5 or "ultra-fine particulate matter" in the air given the strong correlation between such pollution and a variety of diseases. In fact, it was discovered that over a billion people in China were exposed to air that fell exceeded the 24-hour average considered safe for at least half of the 2014 calendar year by the World Health Organization. In response, the Chinese Government issued the "PM2.5 challenge".
Earlier this week, Panasonic announced a new addition to its product lineup in the form of an "Energy Recovery Ventilator" which will be known as a "Fresh Air System" according to its Chinese nomenclature. The ERV will come in either a wall-mounted solution or a slimmer system for home-use scenarios while both units will be able to achieve PM2.5 filtration rates upwards of 98%. Also, thanks to a variety of sensors and Wi-Fi built into the home-use ERV, users will be able to monitor temperature, humidity, air quality, and other information from a compatible smartphone or tablet.
While the announcement specifically targets China in terms of its new ERV products, Panasonic seems keen to make them available elsewhere but made no mention of specific regions and timeframes.
Source: Panasonic