Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating Solutions’ CITY MULTI VRF Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS) won the 2011 AHR Expo Innovation Award for Product of the Year. Designed to supply outdoor ventilation air to a building independent of an HVAC air-distribution or conditioning system, the product originally was named first-place winner in the ventilation category and later was chosen as the best product among all 10 individual category winners.

Chosen from more than 170 entries, which were reviewed by a panel of judges consisting of members of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the product excelled in the criteria areas of innovation, application, value to the user, and market impact.

The DOAS preconditions outside air for introduction into downstream HVAC units, lessening the load on HVAC systems. Because the HVAC systems have to work less to condition the air to a certain temperature when used in conjunction with a DOAS, end-users can save on utility costs. The DOAS connects to a Mitsubishi Electric VRF outdoor unit with INVERTER-driven technology to provide energy-efficient outside air by utilizing waste heat from cooling cycles to provide reheat capability without needing an additional or supplemental energy source.

Available for use in new construction or retrofit commercial applications, the DOAS accepts 100-percent outside air at temperatures ranging from -4˚F wetbulb up to 109˚F wetbulb, preconditioning up to 1,200 cfm of air for introduction into downstream HVAC units.

For more information about Mitsubishi Electric products, visit www.mitsubishipro.com.