A trial of Mitsubishi Electric’s new R32 City Multi YXM VRF system has delivered a 31% annual reduction in energy use and running costs, when measured against an existing City Multi R410A system.
Mitsubishi Electric conducted the trial at its headquarters in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, to test the effectiveness of its new City Multi range. As part of the trial, equipment serving half of its ground-floor sales office was replaced with the R32 model, while the other half continued to be served by an R410A City Multi YJM VRF system installed in 2016.
Both systems use 37.5kW outdoor units to provide simultaneous heating and cooling, with each connected to six 2.5kW and four 3.2kW indoor units via a single Branch Controller box – allowing energy consumption and running costs to be compared under similar conditions.
“We’re particularly pleased that the test results exceed the expected savings of 20% in running costs,” explains Rafiul Islam, VRF Specialist at Mitsubishi Electric. “The analysis shows that the YXM delivers lower energy demand and operating costs, with a reduced carbon impact compared with the model it replaced – highlighting the benefits of switching from R410A to R32”.
The R32 City Multi YXM was launched at the beginning of 2026, with models re-engineered to include a patented vertical flat tube heat exchanger, new defrost technology and high levels of seasonal efficiency.
Available in Heat Pump and Heat Recovery versions from 12kW to 112kW, the range features a compact modular design.
“We’ve been running the two systems side by side since January, so we have already experienced outdoor temperatures as low as -1°C and, with the summer heatwaves, as high as 30°C+ so the units have really been tested,” adds Islam. “We will continue monitoring performance so that we can analyse a full year’s worth of data, but we’re delighted with how it has performed so far.”
Image: Mitsubishi Electric
