Panasonic’s HVAC Cloud IoT set to save

JAPAN: The introduction of Panasonic’s HVAC Cloud IoT service in 33 7-Eleven stores in Japan could save the retailer up to 28.1% in air conditioning energy consumption.

Approximately 90% of the CO2 emissions from 7-Eleven Japan’s overall operations are due to electricity consumed in store operations, with air conditioning accounting for up to 21%.

As well as the energy savings, the 7-Eleven installation will lead to an annual reduction of approximately 84 tons of CO2 emissions. The savings were proven from a pilot project at two 7-Eleven stores in the Kanto region between September 2023 to October 2024.

As the name suggests, HVAC Cloud is a cloud-based IoT service that enables remote management of air conditioning equipment and energy-saving management through AI control. 

Panasonic’s proprietary AI learns facility information, external environmental factors such as outside temperature and weather information, as well as the remote control operations of users. By automatically controlling the temperature to an energy-saving setting according to the situation of each store, it achieves both comfort and energy savings.

HVAC Cloud can be retrofitted to existing commercial air conditioning units, eliminating the need for large-scale construction or complex operational changes. 

Panasonic also plans to offer features that use AI to analyse data from air conditioning equipment to detect refrigerant leaks, serving as a substitute for simple inspections, and predicting air conditioning unit failures. 

Since its launch in April 2024, it has been implemented in a cumulative total of 1,500 locations, mainly clothing stores and restaurants.