Daikin announces the launch of the complete range of R-290 (propane) air-to-water heat pumps and chillers, covering capacities from 20 to 2000 kW. The new platform integrates EWA/YK-CZ monobloc units from 20 to 85 kW and EWYK-QZ modular heat pumps , configurable in multi-array systems up to 2000 kW, offering a coherent and scalable solution for HVAC applications.
The availability of a complete natural refrigerant range enables designers to address decarbonization projects through a single technological architecture, maintaining system consistency across different capacity classes and building types.
The new R-290 range has been entirely designed and tested at the new Daikin Applied Europe Research and Development Centre in Italy, inaugurated in 2025. The facility is dedicated to the development of high-efficiency, highly reliable HVAC equipment for a wide range of applications and enables the validation of seasonal performance, control logic, and safety protocols under operating conditions representative of real European load profiles.
Daikin is introducing its new range of R290 heat pumps and chillers through two dedicated technical webinars tailored for HVAC professionals who want to explore the next generation of highefficiency, lowGWP technologies. Both appointments are part of the 5 Minutes with Daikin webinar format, designed to deliver concise yet highly informative insights into product features, energy performance and application opportunities.
The first event, focused on the EWYK-QZ modular heat pumps, will take place on 13 March and will be held in two languages:
• English session 09:30 CET → Register to secure your spot
• Italian session 12:45 CET → Sign up and join the live session
The second webinar, dedicated to the EWA/YK-CZ monobloc units, will follow on 20 March, again with two language options:
• English session 09:30 CET → Register to attend
• Italian session 12:45 CET → Sign up for the Italian session
If you want to stay ahead of upcoming HVAC innovations, explore the full schedule and register for all upcoming sessions on the dedicated Daikin Webinar page, where you can discover upcoming live events and access all previous webinar recordings.
Compact, easy to follow and rich in technical content, these webinars offer HVAC professionals a valuable opportunity to deepen their knowledge of sustainable system design. From product capabilities to real world applications, each session provides practical insights to support informed system selection and project planning.
The use of the natural refrigerant R-290 requires a systematic safety design approach. Daikin has developed the Daikin Safety Shield as a technical architecture applied across the entire platform, integrating active and passive measures on the electrical supply, refrigerant circuit and hydronic circuit.
Safety functions are powered via a dedicated electrical line, independent from the main power supply, ensuring operation even in the event of a general power interruption. The electrical panel is designed as a controlled environment, maintained under slight overpressure and equipped with continuous refrigerant leak detection. In case of abnormal concentrations, ATEX-certified ventilation systems activate together with visual and acoustic alarms.
In the refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant is factory-charged into dedicated tanks, improving safety during transport and installation. Mechanical safety valves prevent overpressure events and allow collecting refrigerant out the unit in case of abnormal conditions. Dedicated control logic allows the controlled unit to shut down in the event of a leak detection. The hydronic circuit is also protected by a shut-off valve that isolates the unit in the event of water-side leakage.
The uniform adoption of the Daikin Safety Shield across the entire 20 to 2000 kW range ensures architectural consistency and simplifies scalability.
R-290 propane heat pumps offer an extremely low Global Warming Potential (GWP), ensuring full compliance with current environmental targets and positioning them as a futureproof solution considering the ongoing evolution of European F-Gas regulations.
In recent years, refrigerants have received increasing attention, particularly due to European F‑Gas regulations, making the choice of refrigerant more crucial than ever. In this context, Daikin’s portfolio is fully aligned with market evolution and current needs, offering low‑GWP heat pump solutions that are already available.
Discover Daikin’s overview and insights on refrigerants for heat pumps.
With these advantages in mind, the EWYK‑CZ and EWYK‑QZ ranges have been specifically engineered to translate the benefits of R‑290 into concrete value for system designers. Each unit is built on a platform optimised for maximum safety—thanks to dedicated design measures for flammable refrigerants—while maintaining high seasonal efficiency levels and ensuring smooth integration into both new and existing plant layouts.
By combining regulatory readiness, environmental responsibility, and high performance, these solutions offer professionals a reliable, forward-looking technology that simplifies design decisions and enhances the long-term sustainability of HVAC systems.
The EWA/YK-CZ range covers the 20–85 kW segment with air-to-water monobloc units available in heat pump and chiller versions. The heat pump version can deliver leaving water temperatures up to 75°C thanks to vapor injection technology, making it particularly suitable for boiler replacement projects while maintaining existing emitters. The chiller version operates with outdoor air temperatures from -20°C to +46°C and can produce chilled water down to -15°C with glycol, making it suitable for small- to medium-capacity process cooling applications. Inverter-driven scroll compressors and modulating fans enable continuous adjustment at part load, improving seasonal efficiency and operational stability.
This unit is manufactured in a newly built facility, completed in 2021 following a 12 EUR million investment. The plant is in Daikin, located at Daikin Applied Europe's headquarters in Italy, and serves as the European located at Daikin Applied Europe's headquarters in Italy and serves as lied Europe headquarters, in Italy headquarters, representing a key hub for Daikin’s European production network. The company has significantly widened its development and manufacturing capabilities. In just a few years, the company has introduced a broad portfolio of units and refrigerants—including R-32, R-454C, and now R-290—covering capacities from 20 to 85 kW. All models deliver outstanding performance, driven by Daikin’s advanced inverter scroll compressor technology.
The EWYK-QZ series is built around a fully modular multi‑array architecture—scalable up to 2000 kW—that allows the installed capacity to perfectly match real load demands while enabling future expansion without redesigning the entire plant. This high level of modularity not only simplifies logistics and installation in complex industrial sites but also delivers major operational advantages. Thanks to the ability to deliver hot water temperatures up to 75°C, the EWYK-QZ is suitable for boiler replacement projects in comfort heating systems. In cooling mode, the unit operates with evaporator outlet temperatures between -15°C and +27°C, while the ambient operating range extends from -20°C to +46°C.
In production environments where downtime directly impacts productivity and costs, modularity becomes a strategic asset. The system’s architecture isolates individual modules, so maintenance activities or anomalies affect only a limited portion of the plant. The remaining capacity continues operating, ensuring higher resilience, improved reliability, and consistent operational continuity. Modularity is a defining pillar of the EWYK-QZ design. Each 135 kW module can be combined into arrays of up to four units, and up to four arrays can be interconnected into a single configuration. This structure enables true plug‑and‑play installation—greatly simplifying transport, positioning, commissioning, and future system expansions.
Installation flexibility is further enhanced by the option to integrate a dedicated pump module with its own power supply, while still managing the entire array through a single electrical feed. This dual approach streamlines installation, boosts system safety, and creates a highly scalable and adaptable solution that evolves effortlessly alongside plant requirements.
The units are equipped with inverter-driven scroll compressors and EC brushless fans, enabling continuous capacity adjustment according to actual demand. Management through the Multiple Unit Sequencer for single arrays and the Daikin Intelligent Chiller Manager (iCM) for multiarray configurations enables dynamic load optimisation, enhancing energy efficiency and ensuring stable operation even under highly variable industrial demand profiles.
To maximise system performance, the iCM coordinates the operation of each chiller within the group, ensuring that all units work together in the most efficient and balanced way. This reduces overall energy consumption, minimises mechanical stress, and helps the plant consistently meet performance targets. The system also integrates seamlessly with Daikin’s cloud-based monitoring platform, providing real-time insights, advanced diagnostics, and remote optimisation capabilities.
Installation of R-290 heat pumps is restricted to qualified and authorised personnel. Commissioning is recorded in Daikin’s proprietary e-Care application, ensuring traceability and alignment with the original design intent.
Thanks to their ability to manage both comfort heating and cooling, the EWA/YKQZ and EWYKQZ units are particularly well suited for traditional HVAC comfort applications such as offices, hotels, commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, and corporate complexes. They can be installed in new systems as well as in retrofit projects where boilers are being replaced.
At the same time, the ability to deliver temperatures of up to 75 °C—combined with a scalable modular architecture—makes these units ideal for a wide range of industrial applications. This flexibility allows them to meet the needs of multiple manufacturing sectors, where reliability, operational adaptability, and continuous service are essential.
For processes requiring even higher temperatures, Daikin also offers water‑to‑water heat pumps from the EWWH‑VZ Series, capable of reaching delivery temperatures of up to 90 °C, ensuring optimal performance even in the most demanding industrial scenarios.
Discover more about the VZ Series — engineered for optimised high‑temperature performance.
Explore Daikin’s full range of heat pumps
Heat Pumps vs. Boilers: Why Choosing a Heat Pump Is a True Decarbonization Strategy
Switching from a gas boiler to a heat pump delivers not only higher efficiency but also represents a decisive step toward heating decarbonization. Unlike gas boilers—which rely on the combustion of fossil fuels and release CO₂ directly at the point of use—heat pumps operate without combustion, enabling an immediate and substantial reduction in greenhouse‑gas emissions. This makes them among the most impactful technologies for reducing the carbon footprint of residential heating systems.
Discover our complete guide to selecting the ideal heat pump for your needs—whether you’re managing a small, medium, or large plant.
According to The Future of Heat Pumps, a report by the International Energy Agency modern heat pumps achieve a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of around 4, meaning they produce four units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed. As a result, they are three to five times more energyefficient than gas boilers, allowing homeowners to significantly reduce energy consumption while adopting a genuinely lowcarbon heating solution.