VRF or multi-zone heat pump: what is the difference?

Both connect one outdoor unit to several indoor units. VRF goes further: more units per outdoor unit (up to 12 on a FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S, 64 on a Lennox Varix), longer pipe runs and controls designed for buildings. For two to four rooms in a house, a multi-zone is often enough.

How many indoor units on one outdoor unit?

Per our product sheets: 5, 9 or 12 on the FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S (2, 3 or 4 tons), 8 to 10 on the Lennox Varix Mini, 2 to 7 on the GREE Mini-GMV, and from 12 (6 tons) to 64 (32 tons and up) on the Lennox Varix.

Does it heat in a Montréal winter?

Yes. Fujitsu rates heating down to −26 °C on the J-7S. Lennox gives an operating range down to −30 °C for the Varix and Varix Mini, and guarantees 100% heating capacity at −30 °C on the Varix Extreme. We check during the visit whether backup heat is needed for the coldest days.

Does a VRF bring in fresh air?

No. It heats or cools the room air. Fresh air comes from an air exchanger (HRV or ERV) that we install on the same job, under our RBQ 15.8 Ventilation licence.

What grants are there for a VRF?

It depends on the building. House, condo or plex: LogisVert, if the model is ENERGY STAR. Business on Rate G or Flex G, or a building with 20 units or more: Efficient Solutions, up to 90% of eligible costs. The federal Canada Greener Homes Grant is closed.

What electrical service is needed?

The mini-VRF systems in our catalogue (FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S, Lennox Varix Mini, GREE Mini-GMV) run on 208-230 V. The Lennox Varix is 3-phase: 208-230, 460 or 575 V. Our electricians (RBQ licence 16) make the connection.

R-32 or R-410A: what difference does it make?

R-32 has a global warming potential of 675, versus 2,088 for R-410A, and less of it is needed in the system. The FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S and Lennox Varix Mini use R-32; the Lennox Varix and GREE Mini-GMV use R-410A.

Per our product sheets, outdoor units range from 53 dB(A) (Lennox Varix Mini) to about 69 dB(A) for the largest Varix. We choose the location during the visit, taking neighbours and your city bylaw into account.

Are engineering plans needed?

For a building or a business, the mechanical design is often prepared by an engineer. We work from their plans, or we refer you to a designer. For a house, our survey is usually enough.

How much does a VRF system cost?

Every VRF is a project: the price depends on the number of units, the pipe length, access and electrical work. That is why no price is shown online. Your written quote arrives within 24 hours of the visit.

Where do you install?

In Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, the North Shore and the South Shore. Our showroom is in Boucherville, at 1370 Joliot-Curie Street, unit 712.

Is a VRF suitable for an existing building?

Often, yes: two copper pipes fit where large ducts do not. During the visit we check the route, the roof and the electrical service.

Can each tenant set their own temperature?

Yes: each indoor unit has its own setpoint. Billing per unit is a separate topic, to discuss with your property manager.

What is heat recovery?

A version of VRF that heats some rooms and cools others at the same time. Lennox offers it on the Varix; the models in our catalogue are heat pumps, where the whole network is in the same mode.

Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. · Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.110 configurations · 3 brands · from 2 to 38 tons

Installation in Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, South Shore and North Shore · Updated October 1, 2026

VRF systems: one outdoor unit, and every room at its own temperature.

A VRF system sends each indoor unit just the refrigerant its room needs. From a 2 ton mini-VRF for a house to the Lennox Varix with 38 tons and 64 indoor units : FUJITSU AIRSTAGE, Lennox and Gree, designed and installed by our refrigeration technicians.

Tap to change the season

Winter: the refrigerant carries heat captured outside to each room, even in cold weather. Illustration.

Configure my system Who pays for what

Quick request · 45 seconds

Your VRF system quote

Residential: free on-site estimate. Written quote within 24 hours of the visit.

Your building

Full name Postal code

Phone To schedule the visit Email To receive the written quote

Your configuration comes with the request: store or office, 6,000 sq ft, 10 rooms, about 9 t · LENNOX Varix, LENNOX Varix Extreme.

I agree to receive tips and offers from AirGreen by email. I can unsubscribe at any time.

RBQ licence 5645-9605-01 · $5 M insurance · Family business

Your information is collected by 9259-2864 Québec inc. (AirGreen) to process your request. It is hosted by our service providers, some outside Québec. Access, correction or withdrawal: direction@airgreen.ca. Privacy policy. In a hurry? 514 316-2973

64indoor units on a single 32 to 38 ton Lennox Varix

−30 °C100% heating capacity guaranteed by Lennox on the Varix Extreme

2 to 38 tonsfrom a home mini-VRF to a whole-building system

15.8 · 15.10 · 16our RBQ licences: ventilation, refrigeration, electrical

01 · Configurator

Describe your building: the system draws itself in front of you.

Four settings. The capacity is calculated, the rooms light up, and only the series in our catalogue that fit stay lit on the 2 to 38 ton scale.

1. The building

2. The area to heat and cool

6,000 sq ft

500 sq ft≈ 557 m²30,000 sq ft

3. Rooms with their own setting

10rooms

4. The electrical service

AirGreen rule of thumb: 18,000 BTU/h per 1,000 sq ft for a first idea (1 ton = 12,000 BTU/h). The real load is calculated during the visit: insulation, windows, ceilings, occupancy.

Where you stand on the scale

0 to 40 tons

J-7S Mini-VRFFUJITSU AIRSTAGE

Varix MiniLENNOX

Mini-GMVGREE

VarixLENNOX

Varix ExtremeLENNOX

010 t20 t30 t40 t

Your configuration

108,000

BTU/h starting capacity · about 9 tons

rooms connected

LENNOX Varix

21 °C

22 °C

20 °C

23 °C

21 °C

19 °C

22 °C

20 °C

21 °C

24 °C

Our series that fit

LENNOX Varix · 10 tonsup to 20 unitsR-410A3-phase 208-230, 460 or 575 Vrange −30 to +50 °CView →

LENNOX Varix Extreme · 10 tonsup to 20 unitsR-410A3-phase 208-230 or 460 V100% heating at −30 °CView →

At this size, our VRF systems are 3-phase: we check your electrical service during the visit.

Grant to look at: Efficient Solutions, Small BusinessesOn Hydro-Québec Rate G or Flex G: up to 90% of eligible costs, and VRF is among the measures. You apply after installation.

Attach this configuration to my quote

02 · A day in the building

Turn the clock: rooms light up, the outdoor unit follows.

A typical 3-storey building on a weekday in January. Each occupied room asks for its heat; empty rooms stay in economy mode. That is what we call variable refrigerant flow. Simplified illustration.

8:00Morning

Logements

21 °C

17 °C

Bureaux

21 °C

Commerce

17 °C

occupied, comfort setpointempty, economy mode

Rooms calling for heat

7 of 11

Outdoor unit load (illustration)64 %

0:006:0012:0018:0023:00

Chart: number of rooms calling for heat, hour by hour. The yellow bar is the selected hour.

The offices fill up as the apartments empty. The outdoor unit shifts its effort from one floor to another, without heating everything at once.

03 · Anatomy of a VRF system

Eight parts, one network. Tap a number to open it.

Here is what we install, from the roof to the basement: the outdoor unit, the copper, the branches, the indoor units, the controls and the air exchanger that brings in fresh air.

Illustration. Actual locations are decided during the visit, plans in hand.

1The heart of the system

Outdoor unit

One variable-speed compressor unit for the whole building. It speeds up when several rooms call for heat and slows down when they are satisfied.

On the roof or on the ground, depending on the building and access.

From 24,000 BTU/h (FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S) to 38 tons (Lennox Varix) in our catalogue.

Location chosen during the visit, taking noise and your city bylaw into account.

RBQ licence 15.10 Refrigeration

How it heats, in 4 steps

1Capture. Outside, the refrigerant picks up heat from the air, even in cold weather.

2Compress. The variable-speed compressor raises its temperature.

3Distribute. The copper pipes carry it to each indoor unit.

4Meter. Each unit opens its electronic valve just enough to reach its room’s setpoint.

In summer the cycle reverses: the indoor units pick up heat from the rooms and the outdoor unit releases it outside.

04 · Heat pump or heat recovery

In spring, the south side is too warm and the north side is cold. Who wins?

Switch between the two VRF families to see what happens in the same building on the same April morning.

The branch box removes the excess heat from the sunny offices and gives it to the rooms in the shade. Both sides are at their setpoint with the same network.

Heat pump (2 pipes)

The whole network heats or cools. Simple and efficient when rooms have similar needs: houses, plexes, small businesses. That is the case for every model in our catalogue.

Heat recovery

A branch box sends the heat removed from one room to another that needs it. Useful for offices, clinics or hotels with very different facades. Lennox offers the Varix in a heat recovery version: we review it project by project.

Which one? It depends on orientation, occupancy and opening hours. We look at it during the visit, plans in hand.

Request my VRF quote

05 · Our brands

Our VRF System Brands

Three manufacturers, each for a building size: FUJITSU AIRSTAGE for houses and plexes, Lennox for buildings and businesses, Gree for homes run from a phone.

FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S VRF system, outdoor unit and indoor units

Their story, in one click

FUJITSU AIRSTAGE

J-7S: the VRF that fits on a balcony.

Typical example: a six-room triplex with a narrow back balcony. The J-7S outdoor unit slips under the railing, runs on R-32 and feeds up to 12 indoor units on the 4-ton model. Fujitsu rates heating down to −26 °C.

2-3-4 t

on 208-230 V single-phase

units maximum

R-32

GWP of 675

View the FUJITSU AIRSTAGE collection

FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S, 48,000 BTU, 12 indoor units

06 · The comparison

Three series side by side. The best value lights up, row by row.

Choose up to three series. The figures come from our product sheets and the manufacturers; anything we have not yet verified stays marked “being verified”.

Comparison of the selected VRF series
Row	FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S Mini-VRF	LENNOX Varix	LENNOX Varix Extreme
Capacities	2, 3 or 4 tons	6 to 38 tons	6 to 24 tons
Max indoor units	12	64	49
Refrigerant (GWP)	R-32 (675)	R-410A (2,088)	R-410A (2,088)
Tension	208-230 V single-phase	3-phase 208-230, 460 or 575 V	3-phase 208-230 or 460 V
Heating in deep cold	heats down to −26 °C	range down to −30 °C	100% guaranteed at −30 °C
Outdoor noise	54 to 60 dB(A)	58 to 69.5 dB(A)	56 to 62.6 dB(A)
Wi-Fi	Optional	Included	Included
Indicative LogisVert (product page)	$2,088 to $4,296	not shown	not shown
For whom	House, plex, small business	Building, offices, business	Building in a cold climate

Green dot: best value in the row among the selected series. Noise: outdoor unit, per our product sheets. Heating: manufacturer data (operating range or guaranteed capacity).

How many indoor units per capacity?

Tap a column

234568101214161820222426283032343638

Capacity in tons (1 ton = 12,000 BTU/h)

FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7SLennox Varix MiniGREE Mini-GMVLennox Varix (and Extreme up to 24 tons)

At 12 tons · 144,000 BTU/h

25 units maximum

LENNOX Varix25

LENNOX Varix Extreme25

The Varix is 3-phase: 208-230, 460 or 575 V. The number of units rises with capacity, about two more per ton.

Source: our product sheets (FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S, Lennox Varix Mini, GREE Mini-GMV) and the Lennox Varix combination table. The Varix Extreme follows the same table, from 6 to 24 tons.

07 · Cold, refrigerant and noise

Lower the thermometer: who still heats?

Operating range and capacity are not the same thing: in deep cold, a heat pump usually delivers less heat. Only one series in our catalogue guarantees 100% at −30 °C.

−20 °C

−30 °C+10 °C

FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S Mini-VRFFujitsu, heatingWithin the rated range; capacity drops in deep cold, we check it during the visit.Heats

LENNOX Varix MiniLennox, operating rangeWithin the rated range; capacity drops in deep cold, we check it during the visit.Heats

GREE Mini-GMVsheet to be confirmedThe deep-cold heating range is being verified with the manufacturer: we will show it as soon as it is confirmed.Being verified

LENNOX VarixLennox, operating rangeWithin the rated range; capacity drops in deep cold, we check it during the visit.Heats

LENNOX Varix ExtremeLennox, guaranteed capacityLennox guarantees 100% heating capacity down to −30 °C on this series.100% capacity

Depending on your building and your current heating, we check during the visit whether backup heat is needed for the coldest days.

R-32 or R-410A: three times less greenhouse effect per kilo

Global warming potential (GWP) compares the effect of one kilo of refrigerant with one kilo of CO₂.

675

R-32FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S, Lennox Varix Mini

2 088

R-410ALennox Varix and Varix Extreme, GREE Mini-GMV

On the FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S, the factory charge is limited to 5.95 lb for all models, according to Fujitsu. Our RBQ 15.10 Refrigeration licence covers both refrigerants.

And the outdoor unit noise?

Range shown on our product sheets, from the smallest to the largest model in each series, in dB(A).

FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S Mini-VRF

54–60

LENNOX Varix Mini

53–57

GREE Mini-GMV

56–57

LENNOX Varix

58–69.5

LENNOX Varix Extreme

56–62.6

5055606570 dB(A)

The unit location is chosen during the visit, taking neighbours and your city bylaw into account.

VRF system installed by AirGreen in Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, South Shore and North Shore

The products · 110 configurations

All our VRF systems, filterable and comparable.

Filter by brand, capacity, refrigerant, voltage or number of zones, tick “Compare” on up to 4 models, then open the product page: indicative LogisVert amount and AHRI number on every eligible model.

08 · What changes for you

Tell us what heats your building today.

Every starting point has its traps. Here is what a VRF changes, what you can keep and what we check during the visit.

What changes

You gain air conditioning in every room, with the same network.

A heat pump delivers more heat than the electricity it uses for most of the winter.

Each room keeps its setpoint, as with your current thermostats.

What you can keep

The baseboards can stay as backup for the coldest days.

Your electrical service, if its capacity allows.

What we check during the visit

The capacity of the panel and the electrical service.

The outdoor unit location and the pipe route.

The number of units: one per room or one for two open rooms.

09 · Fresh air

A VRF heats and cools. It does not bring in fresh air.

That is the job of an air exchanger: it exhausts stale air, brings in filtered outdoor air and recovers part of the heat along the way. The two work as a team, and our RBQ 15.8 Ventilation and 15.10 Refrigeration licences cover both.

With the exchanger, stale air goes out and filtered fresh air comes in continuously. The VRF only has to bring it to the right temperature.

HRV or ERV: differences
	HRV	ERV
Recovers	part of the heat	heat and part of the humidity
In winter	removes excess humidity	keeps the air less dry
For whom	humid homes or offices	dry air in winter, air conditioning in summer

One job site. We install the VRF and the exchanger with their ducts in the same visit. For a business, the fresh air flow is calculated with the project designer.

See our air exchangers

Our 7 air exchanger brands · tap a brand

10 · Who pays for what

The right grant depends on the building, not the machine.

Two questions, one verdict. The rules come from Hydro-Québec’s current guides; only the programs themselves confirm the aid granted.

1. Your building

2. You are

LogisVert: the amount rises with capacity

Indicative amount shown on our product sheets for the FUJITSU AIRSTAGE J-7S.

24,000 BTU

$2,088

36,000 BTU

$3,144

48,000 BTU

$4,296

Indicative; the actual amount depends on the certified capacity at −8 °C and never exceeds 100% of the cost before taxes.

Our verdict

Program open

LogisVert, from Hydro-Québec

$120 per 1,000 BTU/h of capacity at −8 °C for an ENERGY STAR cold-climate heat pump ($50 if it is ENERGY STAR without the cold-climate mention).

The grant never exceeds 100% of the purchase and installation cost before taxes.

The outdoor unit must be at least 12,000 BTU/h in cooling.

ENERGY STAR required for installations done since November 26, 2025.

Apply within 9 months after installation; processing takes 10 to 12 weeks.

Watch out: the $220 plex bonus applies to cold-climate wall heat pumps, not VRF. Each product page in our catalogue shows the model’s indicative amount.

See the LogisVert page Add to my quote

Status of grant programs as of October 1, 2026
Program	For whom and how much	Status
LogisVert	Houses, condos and plexes: owners’ ENERGY STAR heat pumps.	Open
Efficient Solutions, Small Businesses	Businesses on Rate G or Flex G, buildings with 20 units or more. VRF is a covered measure.	Open
Efficient Solutions, Medium and Large Businesses	Separate process, case-by-case review.	Separate stream
Canada Greener Homes Grant	Applications accepted from May 2021 to February 2024. The $2,500 / $5,000 amounts no longer apply.	Closed

Status as of October 1, 2026. Before counting on two programs for the same project, have Hydro-Québec confirm it: Efficient Solutions refuses a project already submitted elsewhere.

11 · Installation

Six steps, from your request to the first room at the right temperature.

Click a step to see what happens at your place and what we check. Our refrigeration technicians (RBQ 15.10), ventilation technicians (RBQ 15.8) and electricians (RBQ 16) handle the whole job.

Step 1 · what you see

You fill in the form or call us at 514 316-2973. An advisor calls you back to book the visit.

What we check

The building type, the number of rooms, what heats and cools today, and the timeline.

Step 1 of 6

12 · Frequently asked questions

What people ask us about VRF.

Search a question

A variable refrigerant flow system: a variable-speed outdoor unit connected by two copper pipes to several indoor units. Each unit receives only the refrigerant its room needs, and each room keeps its own setpoint.

Your VRF project

We design it with you, room by room, then we install it.

One visit, a full survey, a written quote within 24 hours of the visit. Residential: the on-site estimate is free.

Get my VRF quote 514 316-2973

RBQ 5645-9605-01

Subclasses 15.8 Ventilation, 15.10 Refrigeration, 16 Electrical

5 M$

liability insurance

Family business

from Montréal, member of the CMEQ

Showroom

1370 Joliot-Curie Street, unit 712, Boucherville

Sources verified on October 1, 2026. AirGreen catalogue (product sheets, Oct. 1, 2026) · Fujitsu General, AIRSTAGE J-7S (units per outdoor unit, R-32, heating down to −15 °F / −26 °C, factory charge 5.95 lb) · Lennox, Varix VRF and Varix Mini, quick reference guides (operating range −22 °F / −30 °C, combination table) · Lennox, Varix Extreme (100% heating capacity guaranteed down to −22 °F) · Hydro-Québec, LogisVert, participation guide v1.10 (Sept. 15, 2026) · Hydro-Québec, Efficient Solutions – Small Businesses, participation guide, March 2026 (2025G427-1) · Natural Resources Canada, Canada Greener Homes Grant (closed program) · IPCC, global warming potential: R-32 = 675, R-410A = 2,088. Amounts shown are estimates; only the responsible organizations confirm the aid granted.

Language

VRF systems: one outdoor unit, and every room at its own temperature.

Your VRF system quote

Describe your building: the system draws itself in front of you.

Turn the clock: rooms light up, the outdoor unit follows.

Eight parts, one network. Tap a number to open it.

Outdoor unit

In spring, the south side is too warm and the north side is cold. Who wins?

Our VRF System Brands

FUJITSU VRF System | Montréal, Laval, Montérégie

GREE VRF System | Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, South Shore and North Shore

LENNOX VRF System | Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, South Shore and North Shore

J-7S: the VRF that fits on a balcony.

Three series side by side. The best value lights up, row by row.

Lower the thermometer: who still heats?

All our VRF systems, filterable and comparable.

Tell us what heats your building today.

A VRF heats and cools. It does not bring in fresh air.

The right grant depends on the building, not the machine.

LogisVert, from Hydro-Québec

Six steps, from your request to the first room at the right temperature.

What people ask us about VRF.

What is a VRF system?−

VRF or multi-zone heat pump: what is the difference?+

How many indoor units on one outdoor unit?+

Does it heat in a Montréal winter?+

Does a VRF bring in fresh air?+

What grants are there for a VRF?+

What electrical service is needed?+

R-32 or R-410A: what difference does it make?+

Is it noisy?+

Are engineering plans needed?+

How much does a VRF system cost?+

Where do you install?+

Is a VRF suitable for an existing building?+

Can each tenant set their own temperature?+

What is heat recovery?+

We design it with you, room by room, then we install it.

Be the first to know