Yamaha Gas Heat Pump air-conditioner(GHP) shipments tops 100,000

On May 8, 1997, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.'s total shipments of Yamaha Gas Heat Pump air-conditioning units reached the 100,000 mark.

The momentous 100,000th GHP unit shipment record comes in the tenth year since Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. released the world's first small-size utility-use interior cooler/heater air-conditioning unit powered by a 2 hp gas engine in 1987. Since then Yamaha has steadily expanded its GHP line-up from home-use models to models for commercial facilities like stores and larger models for entire buildings. Today Yamaha boasts a line-up of nine different models and a GHP production that constitutes the largest market share in the industry.
Yamaha Gas Heat Pump air-conditioners are manufactured at the Yamaha subsidiary Soqi Inc. (Location: Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Pref.; President: Fumio Kawaguchi)

Development of GHP air-conditioning systems began when GHP was designated an important technology by the Japanese government's Ministry of International Trade and Industry for the purposes of relieving the load on electric power supplies in the summer months, evening out the demand for natural gas over the course of the year and promoting the use of alternative energy sources that reduce the country's dependency on petroleum. Demand for GHP air-conditioning units has increased dramatically in recent years because the market has recognized such merits as the lower running cost of gas-burning GHP air-conditioners compared to conventional electric air-conditioners, the fact that GHP systems consume only one-tenth as much electricity as electric air-conditioning, thus freeing electrical current for other uses, and the fact that GHP systems deliver heat more quickly and powerfully because they are designed to recover auxiliary heating capacity from the engine's exhaust heat.

Shipment statistics

Housing-use
3hp Housing Multi
This is the only multiple-outlet GHP air conditioning unit in the industry for home use. Up to seven separate room units can be connected to this GHP, of which up to four units can be run simultaneously. In March of 1997, this model won the "Better Living" designation, a guarantee of high product quality and performance by the Center For Better Living that tells consumers that they can use the product with confidence.

Business facility-use (stores, etc.)
5hp Multi
With the attachment of a possible one to six indoor units to the outdoor unit, this model can achieve up to 130% the cooling/heating capacity of an outdoor unit alone. As a result, it offers greater flexibility in air-conditioning use for facilities with differing daytime and nighttime uses, like stores with a connected residence.

Building-use Multi
Yamaha's building-use multiple-outlet M Series models feature an exclusive Yamaha-developed high-performance heat conversion system called the "Y-Hot" system. This system not only solves the biggest problem with conventional electric air-conditioning systems, the drop in heating capacity when outdoor temperatures drop, but actually has the potential to increase heating capacity when outdoor temperatures are low. This Y-Hot system was awarded the Contribution Prize of the 29th Ichimura Prizes in Industry.

Soqi Inc. has dedicated itself to taking the customers' viewpoint in mind as it works constantly to improve the quality of the air-conditioning equipment it manufactures. In 1996, Soqi was the recipient of the TPM Excellence Prize awarded by the Japan Plant Maintenance Association to outstanding factories in recognition of excellence of efficiency, productivity, product quality, cost effectiveness and strengthening of organizational structure.