Platinum Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Products Design · 2026
Hydrolution EZY Series Residential Air to Water Heat Pump
by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)
- A' Design Award 2026 Platinum Winner in Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Products Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 850,840
- Verification code F593F3CC5E · Verify this award
About Hydrolution EZY Series Residential Air to Water Heat Pump
The unit is a residential air to water heat pump that provides heating, cooling, and domestic hot water with excellent environmental performance using natural refrigerant R290. The unit has a jet black body with a silver accent, harmonizing with both traditional European buildings and modern architecture. The fan guard on the left side has a textured surface, while the right side has a smooth flat panel. It can supply hot water at 75 degrees Celsius even at -25 degrees Celsius, ensuring reliable year-round comfort.
The Hydrolution EZY Series Residential Air to Water Heat Pump by MHI Thermal Systems, Ltd. emerges from a distinguished lineage of thermal engineering innovation, representing the convergence of environmental consciousness with sophisticated industrial design sensibility. This exemplar of contemporary HVAC equipment design demonstrates how functional necessity need not preclude aesthetic consideration, presenting a form that balances technical requirements with visual refinement appropriate for residential contexts where equipment visibility has become an increasingly important design factor. The compositional logic reveals careful attention to visual hierarchy, with the prominent circular grille serving both functional purposes in facilitating airflow and establishing a compelling geometric focal point that transforms utilitarian apparatus into a considered design object. The chromatic strategy, predominantly operating within deep neutral registers accented by precisely placed white and green elements, suggests a sophisticated understanding of how equipment integrates into varied architectural contexts, the restrained palette ensuring visual compatibility with diverse exterior treatments while the accent colors provide necessary information and brand identification without disrupting overall formal harmony. Technical accomplishment manifests in the seamless integration of disparate functional zones, the ventilation array and sealed compressor housing unified through consistent material treatment and proportional relationships that suggest underlying engineering rigor. The radial louver configuration demonstrates elegant problem-solving, maximizing airflow surface area while creating visual interest through rhythmic repetition, each vertical element contributing to a larger pattern that exhibits qualities of both order and dynamic energy. One might observe how the design philosophy evident here extends beyond mere appearance into the territory of what industrial designers term product semantics, the visual language communicating values of efficiency, reliability, and environmental responsibility through formal means. The work invites contemplation of how essential infrastructure can embody beauty, how the objects that sustain comfortable living environments might themselves contribute to the aesthetic quality of those environments.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The unit is a residential air-to-water heat pump that provides heating, cooling, and domestic hot water with excellent environmental performance using natural refrigerant R290. The unit has a jet-black body with a silver accent, harmonizing with both traditional European buildings and modern architecture. The fan guard on the left side has a textured surface, while the right side has a smooth flat panel. It can supply hot water at 75°C even at -25°C, ensuring reliable year-round comfort.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Dimensions (H × W × D): 916 × 1160 × 440 mm
- Tags
- residential air to water heat pump, climate-solution, low global warming potential, longevity
- Production Technology
- The product was designed in Japan and is manufactured at our factory in Thailand.
Production takes place on a dedicated R290 manufacturing line, which ensures strict control of safety and quality when handling this natural refrigerant. As part of our quality assurance process, every unit undergoes test runs for both heating and cooling modes before shipment. During these test runs, performance data is recorded and traceable this helps to verify operation and to support long-term reliability. - Design Challenge
- One of the challenges was achieving a design that prioritize durability, without compromising on aesthetics.
Materials and structural components were carefully selected to withstand harsh outdoor conditions.
To verify the resilience of the black exterior, the unit underwent 1,000 hours of UV resistance testing to ensure protection against prolonged sunlight exposure and was subjected to a direct sunlight test in the laboratory to evaluate the temperature rise of the controller. - Project Duration
- The product was developed over several years through close collaboration between the marketing, sales, engineering, manufacturing, and quality assurance teams.
To ensure alignment with real-world requirements, feedback from various clients across Europe was also actively incorporated throughout the development process. A field test was conducted at a customer site in the Netherlands, where key aspects such as performance, durability, and ease of installation were closely evaluated. - Operation Flow
- The unit has a sound pressure level of just 34 dB(A) even at maximum capacity, achieved by a sound-absorbing double base plate and large fan, making it as quiet as a library—ensuring noise remains low enough for comfortable nighttime use. It is compatible with a remote monitoring system allowing users to monitor operation status, optimize performance, and detect issues via smartphones. For safe operation with R290 refrigerant, the unit includes multiple sensors, a sealed internal structure that separates ignition sources, and a vent hole at the base designed to safely release gas outside in the unlikely event of a leak.
- Research
- To ensure the safe use of the flammable refrigerant, a thorough risk assessment was conducted across the entire product lifecycle—including testing, manufacturing, storage, shipping, installation, operation, maintenance, and disposal. Cross-functional collaboration across design, sales, manufacturing, and quality assurance ensured the product was optimized both technically and commercially.
A field test in the Netherlands provided real-world feedback to validate its performance. - Inspiration
- Air-to-water heat pumps are becoming more popular as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuel boilers. Since units are typically installed outside and often positioned in visible areas, thoughtful and high-quality design is important. This unit features a jet-black finish and clean, minimal lines, blending naturally into traditional European architecture while offering a refined appearance. It uses R290, a natural refrigerant with an extremely low Global Warming Potential of 0.02.
- Image Credits
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd.
- Patents
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd.
Colors of Hydrolution EZY Series Residential Air to Water Heat Pump
Grand Interview about Hydrolution EZY Series Residential Air to Water Heat Pump
The Hydrolution EZY Series’ jet-black finish with sleek silver lining represents a deliberate departure from conventional outdoor HVAC aesthetics, which often prioritize function over form. This striking jet-black panel, complemented by subtle silver accents, was carefully considered to enhance the overall look and contribute to a refined, contemporary aesthetic. The bold black combined with elegant silver details adds sophistication, ensuring the unit integrates seamlessly into the external spaces of European homes. Our engineers envisioned the heat pump not merely as functional equipment but as an architectural statement that elevates residential exteriors, a conviction born from deep research into consumer preferences and the desire to transform visible outdoor HVAC units into design assets.
Electing natural refrigerant R290 with an ultra-low Global Warming Potential of 0.02 underscores a strong commitment to environmental responsibility and future-proofing. This boosts consumer and installer confidence by aligning with growing regulatory pressures and sustainability goals. It signals that the Hydrolution EZY Series is designed with both ecological impact and safety in mind. The refrigerant decision reflects a holistic design philosophy focused on innovation, performance and minimizing carbon footprint, while reinforcing the product’s role as a forward-thinking solution in the transition away from fossil fuel heating.
Using flammable R290 refrigerant profoundly shaped the industrial design approach, demanding rigorous integration of safety features without compromising aesthetics or usability. Our design team prioritized robust structural integrity, e.g. incorporating fire-resistant materials, leak sensor and non-flammable enclosure within the unit’s form. The design also facilitates safe installation and maintenance by clearly considering ventilation and leak detection. This responsibility led to a harmonization of form and function, ensuring that the product meets stringent safety standards while maintaining a sleek, approachable appearance suitable for residential settings.
The Platinum A' Design Award recognized the Hydrolution EZY Series for its seamless blend of technical innovation, environmental stewardship and visual sophistication. The jury likely valued how the design transcended typical HVAC solutions by addressing sustainability, safety and aesthetics in a unified manner. This accolade reflects the foundational intent to create a product that not only performs efficiently but also enhances the residential environment and promotes a cleaner future. It validates the team’s vision of elevating heat pump design to a new standard of excellence and societal relevance.
From the outset, the Hydrolution EZY Series’ bold and refined black exterior finish aimed to achieve a striking aesthetic while withstanding the demanding conditions of permanent outdoor installation. This dual goal led the team to consciously re-evaluate the balance between aesthetic ambition and practical resilience. They recognized that maintaining a good visual appeal, required considered material choices. This understanding strengthened the collaboration between design and engineering, ensuring the final product embodied both beauty and lasting performance for external environments.
The international journey of the Hydrolution EZY Series—from design in Japan to manufacturing in Thailand and its ultimate application within diverse European architectural and climatic contexts—presented both challenges and opportunities for us. Feedback from European customers was actively gathered through local offices, providing valuable insights that guided the design refinement to meet regional needs. Navigating these layered cultural and geographic complexities required a flexible, research-driven approach that balanced Japanese precision and craftsmanship with maintaining the same high-quality standards in Southeast Asia as are expected in Japan. Close collaboration between the Thailand factory and the Japanese design team ensured rigorous quality control. This cross-regional collaboration enriched the product, ensuring it performs reliably and complements a wide range of European homes and climates.
Acoustic sensitivity is increasingly vital as residential thermal products become more integrated into daily life and indoor comfort expectations increase. The Hydrolution EZY Series’ achievement of 34 dB(A) at maximum operating capacity, reflects our engineering commitment to minimizing noise pollution without sacrificing performance. Looking ahead, the team aims to push acoustic innovation further by exploring advanced materials, vibration isolation and intelligent sound management systems. This focus not only enhances user satisfaction but also aligns with broader trends toward quiet, sustainable living environments, positioning future products as unobtrusive yet high-performing home companions.
The development of the Hydrolution EZY Series was enhanced by cross-functional collaboration between marketing, sales, engineering, manufacturing and quality assurance teams. Feedback was gathered from European customers whom played a crucial role in challenging and refining the original design, ensuring it met real-world needs and preferences. This ongoing dialogue highlighted areas for improvement in usability, aesthetics and performance, prompting iterative adjustments. The close coordination between the Japanese design department and the Thailand manufacturing facility was essential in translating these insights into practical solutions without compromising quality. This process underscores the importance of organizational openness, flexibility and continuous communication in successfully delivering a product that is both technically advanced and visually sophisticated.
The deliberate asymmetry of the Hydrolution EZY Series is expressed through a textured fan guard side contrasted with a smooth flat panel, reflecting a balance of function and refined aesthetics. The fan guard is meticulously crafted with a smooth matte finish, enhancing aerodynamics while, effectively concealing the fan from full view. Positioned just above and aligned with the front panel’s height, it introduces dynamism and structural rhythm to the design. Its indented top aligns perfectly with the vertical lines of the front panel, ensuring a cohesive and unified appearance that avoids a flat, monotonous look. This nuanced surface differentiation our design philosophy that tactile variation and visual rhythm enrich user experience, harmonizing safety, functionality, and architectural integration into a sophisticated whole.
Translating extreme thermal performance into a product exuding quiet architectural confidence, required a fusion of engineering rigor and design sensitivity. The challenge was to embody robust functionality—delivering 75°C hot water at -25°C outdoors—while avoiding an harsh industrial appearance. With the refinement of the proprietary compressor, the unit reliably delivers hot water at up to 75°C and operates within a wide temperature range of -25°C to 43°C, ensuring hygienic use in all seasons. This process involved iterative prototyping and close co-operation between thermal engineers and designers, demonstrating how high performance and elegant aesthetics can coexist to inspire user confidence and pride in the technology’s presence within the home.