Airstage System Offers Heat Pump, Heat Recovery Options

General HVAC Solutions America (formerly Fujitsu General America) has introduced a new commercial heating and cooling system called the Airstage VU-7. It's a type of large-scale ductless system known as VRF (variable refrigerant flow), which uses a single outdoor unit to send refrigerant to many indoor units, letting different rooms or zones be heated or cooled independently. This system can be set up either as a straightforward heat pump or as a "heat recovery" system, meaning some zones can be heated while others are cooled at the same time using the same equipment.

The VU-7 uses R-32 refrigerant, a lower-impact option than older refrigerants, and comes in sizes from 6 to 32 tons. A 6-ton unit can connect to up to 16 indoor units, while the larger 24-ton-and-up models can support as many as 64. Indoor units come in several styles, including wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted, and slim ducted versions. The system is rated to work in outdoor temperatures as low as -15°F for heating and up to 126°F for cooling, and the company reports efficiency ratings up to 25.25 IEER and 12.3 EER.

This is a commercial-scale product, sized well beyond what a typical house would need, so it's aimed at buildings like offices, apartments, or other multi-zone properties rather than single-family homes. Still, it reflects a broader industry shift toward heat pump and heat-recovery technology using newer, lower-impact refrigerants, a trend that is also showing up in smaller residential systems.