Panasonic joins Smart Electric Lyon consortium

Wiesbaden, Germany, 6th November 2013 A ground-breaking project, billed as the largest European experiment on the electrical systems of the future has commenced in Lyon.  Supported by Panasonic Heating and Cooling, the President of Greater Lyon, EDF and its 20 partners, Smart Electric Lyon officially launched with the opening of its showroom in Lyon, France on October 28, 2013.

CEO of Panasonic Europe, Mr Laurent Abadie (pictured in main image, 2nd from left, with the Mayor of Lyon) commented:  “The development of smart energy infrastructure is key to improving energy efficiency, an important focus area for Panasonic.  Our core competencies combine electronic intelligence with heating and cooling solutions. Smart Electric Lyon will undoubtedly explore large advances in the area of intelligent energy management, which includes not just energy savings but also smart energy creation and storage. The partnership between Panasonic and Smart Electric Lyon consortium members means we can share our expertise to develop innovations in energy management. The ergonomic and sociological studies during the project will also enable us to develop equipment to meet growing consumer needs and ensure ease of use. ”   

Panasonic will provide the project with a variety of its energy efficient heating and cooling products, including the Aquarea Air Source Heat Pump – a super-efficient system for providing heating and / or cooling facilities, as well as the production of domestic hot water.  These heat pumps are especially equipped with connectivity solutions from Panasonic to ensure the systems are easy to use, and collect the vital, accurate data. The company will also integrate other home equipment solutions such as LED white lighting products to optimize the overall energy management of the project’s properties.  

Technologies installed at Smart Electric Lyon are designed to control power consumption, improve comfort of living at home and improve the performance of businesses and communities: they include new equipment for heating, cooling, lighting, home automation, or even innovative digital solutions.  

Smart Electric Lyon is led by a consortium around EDF and supported by ADEME in Future Investments. It consists of 21 partners from the world of industry and research, which includes electrical equipment manufacturers, telecommunication carriers and leading research centres. All are mobilized to develop, combine and evaluate innovative solutions. Greater Lyon has been selected as a pilot city because of its involvement in innovative projects that highlight it as a “city of tomorrow” based on mobility, quality of life and respect for the environment.  

This large-scale test encompasses 25,000 individuals, retailers, businesses and communities of Grand Lyon to test electrical systems of tomorrow. This collaborative approach will run for four years with recognized experts in their various fields, all committed to combine their respective experience and expertise to meet futures energy challenges.  

This project is particularly apt for Panasonic, as heating and hot water occupy a prominent place in household energy consumption.  Panasonic plans to make its European and French resources available for Smart Electric Lyon. The company has committed to the project a dedicated and experienced R&D team from Panasonic’s European technical centre in Frankfurt.  

 For years, Panasonic Heating and Cooling has developed solutions to enhance the connectivity of its products and to inject intelligence into heating and air conditioning to reduce and optimize energy consumption.  Whether for residential projects, or for large installations, Panasonic provides easy to install interfaces that can automatically detect all the hardware in place. These interfaces are compatible with all existing systems (i.e. ZigBee, KNX, EnOcean, or Modbus).  

For more information, visit : www.smart-electric-lyon.fr and 
www.aircon.panasonic.eu/GB_en/heating-and-cooling/eco/