3.2 JAPAN

Among residential ATW HPWHs, Eco Cute units play a central role in Japan. Eco Cute is a high-efficiency water heater that adopts CO2 and uses heat pump technology to produce hot water. Since the heat of air is used, it is possible to obtain three heat energies with one input energy. In 2021, the Japanese Eco Cute market was strong. According to the Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association (JRAIA), the annual record was 585,989 units, which was a marked increase of 11.6% compared with 2020. The Eco Cute market has been expanding in recent years. It is estimated that this trend will continue in the future.