IRVING, Texas — 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 who want to cut operational costs and carbon footprints, the company said in a press release.

The air365 Max with HeatForce can operate at 100% heating capacity with outdoor temperatures as low as -13°F and at 90% capacity down to -22°F.

“Buildings account for nearly 40%of global greenhouse gas emissions — 75 percent of which result from daily operations, including heating and cooling. Johnson Controls-Hitachi is committed to delivering advanced, sustainable technology as part of our vast product portfolio that allows contractors and building owners to decarbonize building operations,” said Manuel de la Fuente, vice president and general manager, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning, North America. “Solutions that offer highly efficient operation year-round, like the air365 Max with HeatForce, offer designers, installers, commercial building owners and investors new ways to adopt low-carbon heating and cooling systems without sacrificing performance and comfort.”

The air365 Max’s 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 company said. 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 CO₂ emissions, the company said. SmoothDrive 2.0 also enables air365 Max to operate at stable and precise temperatures, the company said

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% percent faster.

Available with heat pump and heat recovery modes up to 24 tons, the air365 Max with HeatForce has an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of up to 12, as well as a Coefficient of Performance (COP) 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.