Development of air conditioning

The development history of air conditioning dates back to the 1960s and 1970s, when rare dry weather occurred in the United States. In order to solve the problem of air conditioning cold and heat sources in arid and water scarce areas, the United States took the lead in developing air-cooled chillers, which use air to dissipate heat instead of cooling towers. Its English name is Air cool Chiller, abbreviated as Chiller!

In the history of air conditioning, the United States has developed and improved central unit air conditioning systems with ducts, and has received strong support from air conditioning equipment distributors and dealers who are currently installing and repairing unit air conditioning systems with ducts on site. WRAC is the simplest and cheapest system that can be easily purchased in retail stores and installed by oneself during sustained high temperatures. Meanwhile, the ductless SRAC and SPAC have been developed and improved in Japan since the 1970s, driven by a different market from the United States. Afterwards, the equipment design and manufacturing technology were transferred to China in the 1990s through joint ventures with local companies, including local manufacturers of major components such as compressors, heat exchangers, electric compressors, fine valves, and electronic controllers. In the 1990s, China also absorbed advanced high-tech air conditioning equipment from other advanced countries and formed joint ventures with most large companies in the United States.

Nowadays, China has become a top country, with its main local factories and joint ventures manufacturing a large number of SRAC and SPAC to meet the growing domestic market and export needs. In the past few years, Japan has been exporting SRAC and SPAC units to China, Europe, and the Middle East to establish new markets. However, China is now the largest exporter of air conditioning units, with a total of 5 million WRAC, SRAC, and SPAC units exported in 2001, and an estimated 7.5 or 8 million units exported in 2002, while Japan is losing its position as an exporter.

Review by country

the United States

The United States is the largest air conditioning market, accounting for 28% of the world’s total air conditioning equipment sales, with the majority being unit air conditioning systems with ducts. However, the proportion of heat pumps is relatively low, accounting for 20% in terms of quantity and 30% in terms of sales in 2001. The differences between the US air conditioning market and other countries are due to several obvious reasons:

Most people live in detached houses located in suburban areas with ample space, making it easier to prioritize installing air ducts for the comfort of the entire indoor space.

Energy prices are relatively low, with electricity and gas available nationwide. In winter, heating can be achieved through a natural gas pipeline network using gas stoves.

Most land areas are not suitable for heat pumps without auxiliary electric heating in the cold winter weather, and auxiliary electric heating is not economical.

A strong industrial distributor and economic network support the promotion of central air conditioning systems with ducts at relatively low installation costs and maintenance delays.

Japan

Residential air conditioning started with WRAC produced locally or imported from the United States in the 1960s. Based on the strong demand for air conditioning in individual rooms for most people living in residential areas, central systems are generally not used to save expensive electricity costs. However, many people complain that high operating noise and vibration are not acceptable in the bedroom. It is not very convenient to install it in the room at the same time.  After the painful experience of WRAC, SRAC was later developed for indoor wall mounted installation, making room air conditioning units operate quietly and easy to install. In terms of functionality, although SRAC has lost functions such as the intake of fresh air and the exhaust of return air, WRAC and SRAC have almost the same air conditioning for individual rooms when occupied.In the buyer’s market, there is a need for additional small SRAC units, which are characterized by low noise and can be easily installed as “add-on units” in bedrooms. The heat pump type is well accepted by people during both cooling and heating seasons. Some features such as lower noise, more sufficient heating capacity, lower power consumption (i.e. higher efficiency), and smaller unit size or improved indoor air distribution have attracted users’ attention and interest. Due to the lower cost of energy compared to electricity and the higher heating capacity at lower ambient temperatures, kerosene stoves are still widely used indoors to heat spaces.However, SRAC heat pumps are essential for many people when used in bedrooms, as they can operate safely and prevent fires, as the room space is quite good during sleep times when the indoor temperature is low. The lifestyle has shifted from opening doors and windows wide for fresh air intake during sleep to using locking devices to close doors and windows for urban safety, which requires purchasing more SRAC units indoors. Install forced ventilation fans indoors to draw in fresh outdoor air and exhaust indoor air, achieving energy-saving goals through the use of heat exchange components. The breakthrough technology introduced in the 1980s solved the inherent drawbacks of heat pumps and propelled the sales of SRAC units.

In discounted stores, it has sparked a price war, just like white goods that include shipping and installation costs. The installation of SRAC is very easy and fast, and personnel with lower technical levels on site can complete the installation of the unit, refrigerant pipelines, and wiring within a few hours.

There have been some quality issues in the past, such as refrigerant leaks, component failures, and comprehensive failures directly involving the manufacturer’s repair or subcontracting repair units.

With the improvement of product reliability, the number of after-sales repair calls has greatly decreased. However, the business model remains the same, with SRAC sold through discount stores at lower costs and after-sales service directly borne by the manufacturer or its subcontracted repair units.

SPAC’s sales are similar to SRAC’s light commercial market. Manufacturers are more engaged in the sales of so-called ‘building multi SPAC’ systems, engaging with air conditioning system designers and mechanical contractors to maintain high added value with manufacturers. The SPAC, which combines one compression condensing unit with multiple indoor units, is becoming increasingly popular for newly built residential buildings where refrigerant pipelines are installed inside walls.

The government, public utility companies (such as electricity and gas), and units responsible for formulating national energy policies are subsidizing the development of new technologies and promoting new air conditioning system installations with attractive stimulus plans. These products involve energy-efficient heat pumps, GHPs, and direct gas absorption chillers. The stimulating benefits brought by discounted energy prices make users willing to install new energy-saving air conditioning systems or use them for technological upgrades at much lower operating energy costs. In this way, even if the initial cost increases, the investment recovery is still very attractive.

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