SUWANEE, Ga., October 18, 2011 - Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Mitsubishi Electric) is proud to announce that two teams using Mitsubishi Electric split-ductless heat pump systems in the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon won prestigious awards in the competition. The University of Maryland, College Park, Md. is the 2011 Solar Decathlon winner, earning the highest cumulative score from the 10 separate contests that comprise the Decathlon. Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C., won the People's Choice Award as the Decathlon visitors' favorite house from a poll in which more than 92,000 votes were cast.

The Mitsubishi Electric split-ductless heat pump systems helped the teams win valuable points in the competition because of their ability to provide effective, energy-efficient temperature and humidity control as well as seamlessly integrate with the architectural design of the houses.

Held in Washington from Sept. 23 to Oct. 2, 2011, at the National Mall's West Potomac Park, the Solar Decathlon is an award-winning program that challenges collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive.

"Mitsubishi Electric split-ductless systems are ideal for the Solar Decathlon competition because they help teams produce homes that blend affordability and design excellence with optimal home comfort and maximum efficiency," said Marc Zipfel, director of product marketing, Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating. "Our products achieve the ideal balance of appearance, comfort and energy efficiency in their houses."

Mitsubishi Electric's cooling and heating systems helped the teams earn vital points in several of the 10 separate contests that comprise the Decathlon, including Architecture, Engineering, Comfort Zone, Energy Balance and Market Appeal. Mitsubishi Electric split-ductless systems' small footprint allows the indoor and outdoor units to be attractively concealed in the homes' designs. This helped the University of Maryland and Appalachian State win first and third places, respectively, in the Architecture contest, where a jury of professional architects assessed a team's ability to design and build attractive, high-performance houses that integrate solar and energy-efficiency technologies.

Mitsubishi Electric's residential systems with INVERTER-driven technology and dehumidification abilities are also ideal for the Comfort Zone contest, which requires houses to keep temperature and humidity steady, uniform and comfortable. In the Energy Balance contest, organizers measure the net energy a house produces or consumes over the course of the competition. A team receives full points for producing at least as much energy as its house needs, achieving a net energy consumption of zero during contest week. Of the teams using Mitsubishi Electric systems, two teams, University of Maryland and Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles, and California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. (SCI-Arc/Caltech), received perfect scores partly due to the high efficiency of the Mitsubishi Electric split-ductless systems.

"We chose the Mitsubishi Electric system because it has extremely high efficiencies. It also has a very good dehumidification aspect to it, which is very important in the humid Maryland climate," said David Daily, University of Maryland team member. "We performed very well in this competition, and that's due in large part to Mitsubishi Electric's mini-split system."

Of the 19 participating teams, five chose Mitsubishi Electric for the house HVAC system. The teams that incorporated Mitsubishi Electric into their designs are as follows:

• Appalachian State University: The Solar Homestead (2011 Solar Decathlon People's Choice Award winner)
• University of Maryland: WaterShed (2011 Solar Decathlon winner)
• Parsons The New School of Design, New York, and Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J.: Empowerhouse
• Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles, and California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. (SCI-Arc/Caltech): CHIP
• Tidewater Virginia - Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va., and Hampton University, Hampton, Va.: Unit 6 Unplugged

To learn more about Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating, visit www.mehvac.com.

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About Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating

Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating, headquartered in Suwanee, Ga., is a division of Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, Inc. For more than 30 years, the division has been a leading marketer of intelligent air-conditioning and heating technology, manufactured by its parent corporation, Mitsubishi Electric. The Division's market distribution includes North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Bermuda. In 1982, Mitsubishi Electric was the first to introduce its state-of-the-art split-ductless air conditioners and heat pumps in North America. The company soon expanded, adding to its product line CITY MULTI® variable refrigerant flow (VRF) zoning heat pump systems that use INVERTER technology and offer simultaneous cooling capabilities; compressors; and a full line of air-conditioning accessories. Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating products have won numerous awards for innovation and excellence, including the 2012 BuildingGreen Top-10 Products Award for split-ductless and VRF systems and the 2011 AHR Expo Product of the Year Award for the Dedicated Outdoor Air System. For more information, visit www.mehvac.com or follow Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Contact: Jordan Wells
Griffin & Company, Inc.
888/420-0256 ext. 120

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