AI Energy-Saving Service for Commercial Air Conditioning Starts Operation at 33 7-Eleven Stores

Panasonic HVAC & CC Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Panasonic) has introduced its cloud-based IoT service for commercial air conditioning, "Panasonic HVAC CLOUD" (hereinafter referred to as HVAC CLOUD), to 33 selected 7-Eleven stores nationwide, and operations have begun. With the "AI Energy-Saving Control" feature of HVAC CLOUD, it is expected to contribute to a maximum reduction of 28.1% (*1) in energy consumption for air conditioning across the 33 stores, and an annual CO2 emission reduction of approximately 84 tons. Approximately 90% of the CO2 emitted by the overall business operations of Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. originates from the electricity consumed in store operations, and air conditioning in particular can account for a maximum of 21% (*3) of this, leading to a demand for energy-saving measures for air conditioning. HVAC CLOUD is a cloud-based IoT service that enables remote management of air conditioning equipment and energy-saving management via AI control, contributing to labor and cost savings in air conditioning equipment management. Since the service launched in April 2024, it has been introduced at a cumulative total of 1,500 locations (*4), primarily in apparel stores and restaurants. In actual store operations, indoor temperatures fluctuate due to the number of customers entering and the loading of goods, and there were cases where staff would place an excessive load on the air conditioning by manually setting the temperature higher or lower than necessary using the remote control. Panasonic's proprietary patented AI (*5) learns external environmental factors such as facility information, outside temperature, and weather, as well as the remote control operations by users. By automatically controlling the temperature to an energy-saving setting according to the situation of each store, it achieves both comfort and energy savings. From September 2023 to October 2024, a demonstration experiment was conducted at two 7-Eleven stores in the Kanto region. By setting the AI energy-saving control of HVAC CLOUD, it contributed to a maximum reduction of 28.1% (*1) in air conditioning power consumption. Including the two stores where the demonstration experiment was conducted, the total 33 stores where HVAC CLOUD has been implemented are expected to achieve an annual CO2 emission reduction of approximately 84 tons. HVAC CLOUD can be retrofitted to existing commercial air conditioners (*6) and does not require large-scale construction or complex operational changes. In addition, in the future, by analyzing the data obtained from the air conditioners with AI, Panasonic plans to provide functions to detect fluorocarbon leaks as an alternative to simple inspections, and functions to predict air conditioner failures. Going forward, Panasonic will continue to enhance the functions of HVAC CLOUD, support the realization of energy saving and CO2 reduction in store operations, and contribute to the construction of a sustainable society. *1 A comparison of approximated curves for each control by toggling the use of AI energy-saving control on and off every week at a 7-Eleven store (approx. 200 square meters) in the Kanto region from April 2024 to March 2025. When AI energy-saving control is off: 21,334.5 kWh/year; when AI energy-saving control is on: 15,339.5 kWh/year. Actual energy-saving effects vary depending on the usage environment and other conditions. *2 An estimate if the average value of expected CO2 emissions at stores that completed the demonstration experiment but did not set the temperature return function was expanded to 33 stores. *3 Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs, Tokyo Center for Climate Change Actions (Cool Net Tokyo) "Energy Saving Measures for Convenience Stores for Convenience Store Managers" https://tokyo-co2down.g.kuroco-img.app/files/user/files/action/business/industry-seminar/text/conveniencestore.pdf *4 As of February 2026 *5 Acquired on February 20, 2025 (Patent Number: 7637910) *6 Limited to configurations using WLAN adapters on equipment that meets Panasonic's specified models and manufacturing year conditions. Please see the full press release below. ▼[Press Release] AI energy-saving service for commercial air conditioning starts operation at 33 7-Eleven stores (April 24, 2026) https://news.panasonic.com/jp/press/jn260424-1 - Panasonic HVAC CLOUD Service Introduction Webpage https://solution-cloud.hvac.panasonic.com/hc_about