Mitsubishi Electric air-conditions the Museum of the Present designed by the Falcone Foundation to spread the culture of legality

The heat pumps represent a crucial technology for promoting environmental sustainability and reducing the impact of traditional heating and cooling systems. In fact, unlike fossil fuels, they use renewable sources such as air, water or soil to transfer heat, resulting in significantly higher energy efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.

On the occasion of Heat Pump Day the day scheduled for October 21 and promoted by the European Heat Pump Association with the aim of discovering how this technology is transforming the way we heat and cool, increasing Europe's competitiveness, contributing to energy independence and efficiency, and reducing our carbon footprint, Mitsubishi Electric would like to tell about one of the most recent case studies carried out precisely with heat pumps.

The company was, in fact, responsible for the air conditioning of the Museo del Presente, built by the Falcone Foundation in Palermo and dedicated to Giovanni Falcone, Paolo Borsellino and all mafia victims. A reality, first in Europe, which aims to tell the story of the commitment of each of the protagonists of the fight against the mafias, relating it to the historical facts of the period in which they lived, and emphasizing how, then as now, to beat the interests of the mafias requires from the community and the individual passion, commitment and culture.

For the air conditioning of the building were installed two air source heat pumps PUHY-P-YNW-A2from the Y Next Stage line that adopts a two-pipe refrigerant system, which allows the system to transition from cooling to heating and vice versa, ensuring that a high level of comfort is maintained in all zones. Each compact outdoor unit uses R410A refrigerant and an Inverter driven compressor for effective control of the energy used.

The system has been divided into two macro-zones: the left wing, which includes the exhibition area, i.e., the Gallery of the Present, and the vault and for which a 45 KW refrigerant heat pump condensing unit (size 400) was chosen, and the right wing, which includes the library, bookshop, a video room, and the lobby, for which a 56 Kw, size 500 refrigerant output system was chosen. Ducted units and fan coils are then connected to the heat pumps.

In addition to these spaces, the project includes air conditioning of an additional room in the garden, for which the top-of-the-line air conditioner Kirigamine Style was chosen.

The building is managed locally by local wired remote controls, mod. PAR-41MAA, and by a centralized control mod. AE-200that will enable the plant operator to be able to monitor and control each and every internal terminal remotely, via the web.

Due to the complexity of the context in which the project is located, the left wing is currently completed, while the right wing will be completed by May 23, 2025, on the 33rd anniversary of the Capaci massacre.

The subdivision into two macro-zones is designed to meet the different needs of space use and also what are the international guidelines for the preservation of works of art of international importance that the museum will house once completed.

"As Mitsubishi Electric, we believe in the importance of contributing to the well-being of communities, and this also translates into contributing to the protection and promotion of artistic heritage. For this reason, as an air conditioning division, we inaugurated a few years ago the Climatizza l'Arte project that allowed us to create air conditioning systems that would ensure both the proper conservation of works and the well-being of visitors in places of excellence in Italian culture. In this case the commitment is twofold, since alongside cultural promotion, there is the importance of fighting against mafias and spreading the culture of legality. We are therefore proud to have been chosen as a partner in this project and to have contributed our solutions to the creation of the Museum." Said Stefano Negri, Marketing Director of Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning division.

The realization of the plant was made possible thanks to the valuable and patient cooperation of our local partners: "Grippi Impianti" - in the persons of Antonello and Gabriele Grippi, "Airtec Rappresentanze" - in the persons of Andrea Ribaudo and Alessandro Brancato - and arch&tech - in the persons of Eng. Fabrizio Anzaldi and Eng. Pietro Li Castri.

The Museum is part of the Falcone Foundation, with Maria Falcone as president and Vincenzo Di Fresco as key advisor and heading the project overseen by Alessandro de Lisi.