Velare: The Hybrid Electric Fire That Heats and Cools

The soul of a fireplace. The performance of a climate system.

Heating in winter. Cooling in summer. Ambience all year round. The game-changing hybrid electric fire, designed and assembled in New Zealand.

What is a hybrid electric fire?

A hybrid electric fire is an electric fireplace with reverse-cycle heat pump technology built in and concealed behind it. All you see is the fire. Velare by Rinnai heats in winter, cools in summer, and runs a realistic FlameCore™ flame with or without heat. It delivers powerful heating and cooling for rooms of 22 to 32m², and is designed and assembled in New Zealand.

Heats in winter

Powerful heat pump warmth, enough to heat an open-plan living area of 22 to 32m².

Cools in summer

Powerful reverse-cycle cooling, with no heat pump unit on show in your living space.

Ambience on demand

FlameCore™ creates a strikingly realistic flame that runs with or without heat.

Never off-season

Winter

Louvres angle down, enveloping the room in powerful heating, right where you feel it.

Summer

Louvres angle up, circulating powerful reverse-cycle cooling right through the room.

A fireplace that works as hard in January as it does in July.

How does a hybrid electric fire work?

Velare’s integrated heat pump draws warmth from the surrounding air to heat your room efficiently in winter, then reverses in summer to cool it — the same reverse-cycle technology as a heat pump, which moves heat rather than creating it, so it delivers more heat per unit of electricity than a conventional electric fire. Precision-engineered louvres direct the airflow with purpose: up for cooling, down for heating. The FlameCore™ flame runs independently, so you can enjoy the ambience of a fire on a summer evening without the heat. And specialised anti-reflective glass means you see lifelike glow, flicker and depth from any angle, free of glare.

Velare 1500 Hybrid Electric Fire

A high-performance climate solution that presents as a work of art.

6.5kW heating / 6.0kW cooling
3.81 COP heating efficiency
Heats rooms 22–32m² at 2.6m stud
FlameCore™ flame, with or without heat
Adjustable seasonal airflow louvres
Anti-reflective glass
Three lighting zones, up to 11 colour themes
Wall-mounted installation
Designed and assembled in New Zealand
5-year warranty on firebox and heat pump

A Kiwi original

Velare is proudly designed and assembled in New Zealand, for our homes, our architectural standards and our climate. As more Kiwi homes are built all-electric, Velare brings the presence of a real fireplace to that choice, engineered to perform as beautifully as it looks.

Hybrid electric fire vs heat pump vs electric fireplace

	Velare hybrid electric fire	Heat pump	Standard electric fireplace
Heating	✓ 6.5kW (22–32m²)	✓	Limited
Cooling	✓ 6.0kW reverse cycle	✓	✗
Flame ambience	✓ FlameCore™, flame without heat	✗	✓
Energy efficiency	Heat pump — moves heat	Heat pump — moves heat	1:1 resistive element
Design presence	Architectural centrepiece	Wall unit	Decorative
One appliance does it all	✓	✗	✗

FAQs

What size room will Velare heat?

Velare 1500 is rated for rooms of 22 to 32m², based on a 2.6 metre stud height, for indoor domestic use. That covers most Kiwi open-plan living areas.

Do electric fireplaces use a lot of electricity?

Most electric fires convert electricity straight into heat at a one to one ratio. Velare works differently. It runs on heat pump technology, which moves heat rather than creating it. Velare’s published heating efficiency is 3.81 COP, meaning roughly 3.81kWh of heat delivered for every 1kWh of electricity used under rated test conditions: 6.5kW of heating output from 1.7kW of electrical input.

Can an electric fireplace really heat a room?

Most cannot, and that is the honest limitation of the category. Velare is rated at 6.5kW heating, which is primary heating for a room of 22 to 32m², not supplementary warmth.

What is the downside of an electric fireplace?

The usual trade off is that they look good but heat poorly, and they do nothing at all in summer. Velare answers both: heat pump heating in winter, cooling in summer, and flame with or without heat. The remaining trade off is upfront cost, against the two appliances it replaces.

Can I run the flame without the heat?

Yes. FlameCore™ runs independently of the heating and cooling, so you can have the flame on a warm evening with no heat output.

How does it compare to a heat pump?

Matching performance (6.5kW heating / 6.0kW cooling) with something no heat pump offers: the look and soul of a real fire.

What is a good alternative to a gas fireplace in NZ?

If you are looking at electric, it has to deliver real heat, not just flame effect. Velare is a hybrid electric fire: heat pump heating in winter, cooling in summer, and a realistic flame that runs with or without heat. It runs on electricity alone, so there is no gas supply to connect.

Does Velare need special wiring, or can it plug into a normal outlet?

The fire comes with a standard 10 amp three-pin plug and a 1.5 metre lead, but it needs its own dedicated, earthed 230V power point, plus an isolating switch that stays accessible outside the fireplace cavity. The heat pump needs a separate 220 to 240V single-phase supply to the outdoor unit, with the wiring, circuit protection and isolation arranged by your installer or electrician.

What warranty does it come with?

Five years parts and labour on the electric fire firebox and on the heat pump system, and two years parts and labour on all other parts.

The future of New Zealand home comfort is here.

See Velare in person or talk to the team about your space.