Klima-Therm has been appointed a distributor for Chinese manufacturer Gree’s photovoltaic-powered VRF air conditioning and split systems.

The announcement follows the company’s recent distribution agreement with Gree for centrifugal chillers, and means that Klima-Therm is the only UK supplier of the manufacturer’s full air conditioning range.

As part of its commitment to establish the brand in the UK, Klima-Therm will stock all popular models of Gree VRF and split air conditioning, plus spares. In addition, it is expanding its air conditioning team and recruiting new staff to support the roll-out.

Gree’s pioneering direct-drive photovoltaic-powered VRF system is the first commercially available system of its kind in the world, the company says. The hybrid solar-electric technology can save end users up to 30 per cent of their cooling energy costs.

The units can be used in heat pump mode to produce heating or hot water - a typical application being to fill a residential storage tank with hot water during the day ready for consumption in the evening.

Conventional PV-powered VRF systems collect solar energy and produce electrical power, feeding it to a DC-AC converter for use by the VRF. Gree’s system uses an advanced power management system to overcome the need for a DC-AC converter, feeding electricity from the PV array directly to the air conditioning system.

This removes the efficiency losses associated with power conversion, boosting the system’s efficiency and cost-effectiveness. When conditions allow, surplus electricity not required for air conditioning can be fed back into the grid, giving end users an income from feed-in tariff, further tilting the economics in favour of PV-powered air conditioning.

Managing director of Klima-Therm, Roberto Mallozzi, said: 'This latest agreement with Gree means that Klima-Therm is now the only supplier in the UK offering the manufacturer’s full range of industry-leading products.

'The Gree name may not yet be very well known in the UK. However, the company combines impressive scale as a manufacturer – now producing one in three of all air conditioning units sold in the world - with outstanding technical skills and innovation. Many of the leading air conditioning brands trust Gree to manufacture their branded products for them.'