World first: Daikin introduces carbon-neutral heat pump

The 30,600 m² R&D complex, created with an investment of 140 million euros, serves as Daikin’s global research centre for heat pump heating technologies. The company has increased the recyclability of its entire product range to 80%. Daikin has strengthened its presence in Europe and inaugurated a new R&D centre in Ghent, Belgium. The complex, which consists of a 14-storey office building and a 6-storey test building, is built to the nearly zero energy (nZEB) standard and serves as a development centre for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. It also serves as the group’s global research centre for heat pump heating technologies.

The 30,600 m² complex, which was built with an investment of €140 million, has 23 advanced test chambers, including a cold chamber where heat pumps are tested and analysed at a constant temperature of -40 degrees Celsius and 100% humidity. There is also a soundproof room where work is being done to further reduce the noise level of heat pumps, and a materials testing laboratory where the behaviour of individual components under load is analysed. The test center also includes an EMC laboratory that tests electromagnetic compatibility to ensure that heat pumps operate reliably despite electromagnetic influences from the environment and do not interfere with the operation of other devices.