Panasonic and tado°, a German Energy Control Solution Company, Sign Business Alliance Agreement

Osaka, Japan – Panasonic Corporation today announced that its Heating & Ventilation A/C Company will launch a business alliance with tado°, a German energy control solution company, for the development of software for Panasonic's air-to-water (A2W) heat pumps, and for proposals and sales of the two companies' products and services. Through this agreement, Panasonic will enhance the efficiency of A2W operations, assist customers in reducing their energy costs, and promote decarbonization.

There is strong interest in Europe in environmental conservation and measures against climate change, leading to an increased focus on energy-saving measures and energy management. A2W, which warms indoor spaces by circulating hot water produced through the collection of atmospheric heat, is capable of producing fewer CO₂ emissions than heating equipment that uses fossil fuels. Demand for A2W has been growing due to the benefits of its low environmental load.

In 2008, Panasonic launched sales of Aquarea, a residential A2W system developed based on energy-saving technologies accumulated through Eco Cute and air conditioners. Aquarea can sustain heating performance in cold climates¹ and is suitable for cooling in warm climates. The company has made efforts to broaden its product lineup and was the first Japanese manufacturer to release products adopting a natural refrigerant in May 2023.

The Panasonic's alliance partner tado° is an industry-leading energy control solution company established in Munich, Germany in 2011. It manufactures and sells Smart Thermostats for connecting air-conditioning equipment, including heating appliances, to the Internet and provides services enabling remote control with mobile applications and supporting energy consumption reduction. Connecting the company's Smart Thermostats to indoor heating and cooling units, such as radiators, makes it possible to remotely adjust temperatures, monitor usage conditions, and efficiently operate equipment in a range of different conditions, including varying weather and equipment usage patterns. tado° also sells electric power generated from renewable energy. The company concurrently provides solutions for energy cost reduction² by encouraging customers to use electric power during off-peak hours.

Based on the business alliance, Panasonic will link its A2W to tado°'s Smart Thermostat to enable remote temperature control of indoor units such as radiators, in addition to the A2W main unit installed outdoors. The company will be also able to provide services that allow optimal heating and cooling operations via machine learning based on weather forecasts and customers' usage patterns. Panasonic will help customers reduce their energy costs and contribute to decarbonization by promoting suggestions for operating equipment using electric power generated from renewable energy at more affordable rates.

Panasonic plans to launch the proposal of solutions that combine its A2W and services provided by tado° by the end of this year in Germany and Italy, and is considering the joint development of software dedicated to its A2W, which will enable additional energy conservation in the future.

Masaharu Michiura, President of the Heating & Ventilation A/C Company, stated that they would contribute to balancing comfortable lifestyles with a sustainable global environment through the business alliance, and further accelerate the ongoing Panasonic GREEN IMPACT initiatives across the Panasonic Group.

Christian Deilmann, the founder of tado°, commented, "I am delighted with our collaboration with Panasonic, a venerable company with a leading market share in the European A2W industry. I am confident that the collaboration between the two companies will be a significant step toward fulfilling our companies' mission to accelerate the transition to green energy in Europe."

Panasonic will continue to endeavor to create comfortable and environmentally conscious spaces.

1 Models equipped with Panasonic's unique T-CAP technology

2 A system called a "dynamic tariff" that varies electric power prices in real time in response to changes in the balance between supply and demand