Smart panel anticipated to help overcome electric service hurdles to all-climate heat pump adoption
SUWANEE, Ga.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US LLC, (METUS), a leading supplier of Ductless and Ducted Mini-split and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heat pump and air-conditioning systems, will introduce a new integration for its all-climate heat pumps with SPAN.IO, INC. (SPAN), maker of the leading smart electrical panel. The collaboration between these award-winning category leaders is anticipated to accelerate household electrification and energy efficiency.
The METUS-SPAN product integration, once available, is anticipated to help homeowners eliminate dependence on fossil-fuel-reliant heating and cooling systems and conventional electrical panels. In a METUS-conducted survey in 2023 of approximately 1000 U.S. homeowners, almost 83% of respondents stated that they are either “somewhat concerned”, “very concerned” or “extremely concerned” about the impact of energy bills on their household budget. Mitsubishi Electric’s all-electric heating and cooling systems are designed to reduce energy use compared to conventional HVAC systems.
According to an analysis conducted by Pecan Street in 2021, approximately 48 million single family homes may need an electric service panel upgrade before they can fully electrify 1 which can include homeowners installing an all-electric heating and cooling system. Smart electrical panels offer an immediate solution to scale the electrical grid by optimizing existing infrastructure, supporting electrification, and contributing to greater sustainability.
“Installation of energy efficient all-climate heat pumps is accelerating the path to broader decarbonization,” said Mark Kuntz, chief executive officer, Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US. “Converting from fossil fuels to heat pumps requires more electrical capacity than many older homes’ existing circuit breaker panels and electric service are capable of. We believe the SPAN Panel provides a way for homeowners across America to add our all-climate heat pumps using their existing electrical service.”
The METUS-SPAN integration, activated through the kumo cloud® app, is anticipated to help HVAC contractors reduce installation time by reducing the need for additional coordination with utilities to replace the electrical service to a home. By using the SPAN panel, homeowners may avoid the cost and inconvenience of an electrical service upgrade from their utility. SPAN Panels are designed to allow homeowners to make upgrades while using their home’s existing electrical service.
SPAN Panel is designed to intelligently distribute power across circuits where needed most. Because a Mitsubishi Electric heat pump operates at partial-load using inverter-compressor technology, the SPAN Panel will be able to send a command to Mitsubishi Electric’s heat pump through the kumo cloud® app to reduce the capacity to divert the power load to other appliances. Advanced variable energy orchestration between the SPAN Panel and the Mitsubishi Electric heat pump will provide homeowners with greater overall flexibility of their home’s energy use.
“Hundreds of thousands of homeowners each year are choosing to purchase Mitsubishi Electric Trane products to electrify their homes’ heating and air conditioning,” said Arch Rao, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SPAN. “This collaboration with METUS is exciting for us because we believe this integration will unlock a better option for the over 40 million U.S. homeowners who may face unexpected obstacles and hassle when they choose to upgrade their heating and cooling.”
METUS and SPAN products are eligible for a variety of local, state, and federal tax incentives and rebates for U.S. homeowners purchasing and installing those products in their homes. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) makes heat pumps and panels more affordable for many households by providing tax credits up to $2,000 for heat pumps and up to $600 for qualifying panel purchases. As part of an upcoming IRA rebate program, low- and middle-income households may be eligible for rebates of qualifying products up to $8,000 for heat pump HVAC, $4,000 for panels, and $2,500 for electric wiring of their home electrification projects.2
METUS and SPAN products are available through distribution, and METUS and SPAN anticipate launching the integration via an over-the-air software update in late 2023.
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About Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US LLC
Formed in May 2018, Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US LLC (METUS) is the exclusive provider of Zoned Comfort Solutions® and leading supplier of Ductless and Ducted Mini-split and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heat pump and air-conditioning systems in the United States and Latin America.
A joint venture between Trane Technologies plc and Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc., the company provides innovative products, systems and solutions capable of heating and cooling a broad range of applications, from a home to a large commercial building with superior efficiency, comfort and control.
The family of brands supported by METUS includes: Mitsubishi Electric, Trane®/Mitsubishi Electric and American Standard®/Mitsubishi Electric. More information is available at www.metahvac.com.
About SPAN
SPAN reinvented the 100-year-old electrical panel and is developing products that enable electrification and simplify the adoption of clean energy including solar, batteries, and electric vehicles. SPAN Panel gives customers circuit-level management, real-time monitoring, and actionable energy insights through the SPAN Home app’s intuitive interface. Designed with hardware innovation and purpose-built with intelligent software, SPAN Panel and SPAN Drive™ electric vehicle charger are an efficient and integrated solution for any home. Backed by leading investors in the clean energy space, SPAN aims to decarbonize by building products that remove barriers to electrification while providing a holistic approach to managing increasing demands on household energy. To learn more, visit www.span.io.
1 https://www.pecanstreet.org/2021/08/panel-size/
2 This material has been prepared for information purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for tax, legal or accounting advice. While METUS and SPAN use reasonable efforts to furnish accurate and up-to-date information, METUS and SPAN do not warrant that any information herein is accurate, complete, reliable, current or error-free. METUS and SPAN assume no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content herein.
Contacts
Erica England, Arketi Group
eengland@arketi.com
904-803-8808
Lauren Bovard, Arketi Group
lbovard@arketi.com
678-477-5546
Colleen Healey, SPAN
