What is Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF)?

A Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system or a Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) system adjusts the flow of refrigerant in and out of a building based on demand. In VRF systems, an outdoor unit with inverter driven compressor(s) is connected to multiple indoor fan coil units. Depending on the temperature demands from each indoor unit, the outdoor unit will adjust the compressor speed thereby delivering different amounts of refrigerant to the fan coils of the indoor units.

In specifically adjusting the flow based on exact load requirements, VRF based systems tend to be more cost-effective and energy-efficient in their operations. The VRF systems provide superior comfort than conventional systems because they allow users to divide interior spaces into zones with varying temperature settings. VRF systems can also provide installation cost savings as they are two pipe systems.

These features make VRF systems well suited to applications that require zoning as well as cost and energy efficiencies.