PESES’s ventilating fan production reached 200 million units in 2018, 60 years after manufacturing its first model. The company is contributing to the improvement of indoor air quality for customers worldwide through the ventilation business.

PANASONIC Corporation has announced that Panasonic Ecology Systems Co., Ltd., PESES, a Panasonic group company focusing on indoor air quality, IAQ, and environmental systems, had marked a cumulative global production of 200 million ventilating fans in December 2018. It has been 60 years since the manufacture of its first ventilating fan in 1958. Since its foundation in 1909, PESES has been dedicated to improving the IAQ through the provision of ventilating fans, electric fans, and air purifiers. The company produces over seven million units of ventilating fans, its flagship product, annually. Offering them in more than 40 countries and regions, PESES is contributing to IAQ improvement in the world using its experience and technologies acquired in Japan.

The ventilating fan was initially called ‘exhaust fan’ and its usage confined to such facilities as movie theaters and hospitals. Kawakita Denki Kigyosha, the predecessor company of PESES, started distributing fans for hospitals in 1928. As per a 1956 request from the Japan Housing Corp. (the current Urban Renaissance Agency), the company developed ‘the first ventilating fan’ specially designed for public housing and released it in 1958. The product’s history thus began as a ventilation fan to expel smoke and odors from kitchens.

During the 1970s, growing awareness of the need for global environmental protection, energy efficiency, and domestic comfort led to increasing popularity of super-insulated homes. To solve the resultant dew condensation problems, central home ventilation was needed, and PESES responded by developing an energy recovery ventilator system. In 2003, the law made it a requirement to provide all rooms with 24-hour ventilation to prevent sick building syndrome. PESES was one of the first to launch a series of products and systems for 24-hour ventilation as well as a ventilation design support service.

Since about 2008, particulate matter present in outdoor air, such as pollen, yellow dust, and PM2.5 have affected people’s lives, increasing general interest in Class 1 ventilation systems. Class 1 ventilation systems, unlike conventional Class 3 systems that simply expel stale indoor air, allow air from outdoors to be purified first before transporting it inside by using mechanical ventilation for both air supply and exhaust. Housing designs are also changing in Japan as the government is promoting the construction of Net Zero Energy Houses. There has also been a growing demand for houses in which it is possible to live a life of wellness for many years with complete peace of mind. People spend a great deal of time indoors, so ‘smart wellness ventilation’ is of growing interest as a system for improving IAQ and providing a high-quality air environment. Class 1 ventilation with energy recovery ventilator systems are therefore being promoted.

History of PESES’s ventilating fan business outside Japan

PESES has been introducing new products and exploiting new markets in China, North America, Asia and the Middle East based on technologies and products developed as the core of its business experience in Japan. PESES has established local production schemes by building factories in Hong Kong*2 in 1981, China in 1993, Thailand in 1996, and Mexico in 2016, as well as operating factories in Malaysia, Indonesia and India. The site in China is its largest production base outside Japan. It develops and manufactures products for China to achieve a fast and efficient supply of products that meet local customer needs. The site also serves as a global production base, developing and manufacturing products for other countries. In Asia, PESES widely distributes its products developed and manufactured to suit the characteristics of each region. The company started offering ventilating fans in North America in 1993 and has expanded its business with products highly regarded for their energy-efficiency, quietness, and long-life.

In response to increasing public awareness of the importance of air quality, PESES will continue to contribute to IAQ improvement by providing IAQ products to customers all over the world.

– Feb. 4, 2019 @ 18:45 GMT |