High temperature in Europe, is the opportunity for China's air -conditioning industry?

[Global Times reporter Zhao Qiankun] This summer, "extreme high temperature" has become a keyword in major media reports in the world, especially in Europe, the secondary disaster caused by extreme weather. The British "Financial Times" said that the popularity of European family air -conditioning is low, but the Chinese local market has been relatively saturated. European high temperature may allow Chinese air -conditioning manufacturers to grow from the weak growth of the local market. Is European consumption high enthusiasm for air conditioning? How potential is the future? Is the opportunity for Chinese air conditioning to enter Europe? "Global Times" reporters investigated this.

Listen to the reason why Europeans talk about

The Washington Post recently said that less than 5%of French families and British families are equipped with air conditioners, and in Germany, this number is only 3%, which is related to many European climate in Europe. However, the report also quoted the report of the International Energy Agency that the amount of air conditioning ownership in Italy, Spain, Greece and southern France increased rapidly in the past 10 years, and estimated that the number of air conditioners in EU countries will increase from 110 million units in 2019 to 2050 The year of 275 million units.

In order to tap the reasons for the low penetration rate of European air conditioners, the reporter of the Global Times interviewed many families in Germany, the United Kingdom and France. These families have stated that before the high summer temperature in Europe, the low air conditioning rate, and the high air conditioning installation costs are the main is the main is the main thing. reason. However, with frequent high temperature weather in recent years, the Tibo family living in Lyon, France, and the Marcus family in Carsuhe, Germany have installed air conditioners.

Tito's wife Sheril told the Global Times reporter that in Lyon, the cost of buying an air conditioner was 800-1500 euros, and the cost of installing a machine and a air outlet was about 800-1000 euros. In addition to the weather factors, the reason why Tibo decided to install air conditioners last year because they moved from the city last year to the countryside. "Installing air -conditioning outdoor aircraft outside the urban apartment building requires the approval of the owner committee, and the villas in the countryside do not need to go through complicated procedures." Tibo said.

Marcus also said that high costs and strong environmental awareness allowed many German families to not choose to install air conditioners, and some families choose to use electric fans. Although he installed air conditioners this year, he was installed in the bedroom. "In some areas of Europe, people's installation of air conditioning requires the approval of marketing and other departments." He said. Marcus also talked about another problem encountered when installing the air conditioner -it would take nearly 1 month from the appointment to installation to professionals.

Sybe, who lives in London, England, reveals other summer methods that locals often choose. "My family once rented a portable air conditioner in the summer of 2018, but the local people often adopted the summer avoidance method to go to a cool climate for vacation."

Zhao Junjie, a researcher at the European Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told a reporter from the Global Times that many European residents are renting a house. Installing air -conditioning requires the landlord's consent; most European countries rely on energy imports, which determines that the overall electricity price of Europe is not low; Europeans are not low; Europeans are not low; Europeans are not low; Europeans are not low; Europeans are not low; Europeans are not low; Europeans are not low; Europeans are not low; Unwilling to install air conditioners is also related to aesthetic. The external lane of the air conditioner is extremely uncoordinated with many local historical buildings. "Of course, the consumption concept of Europeans is also changing, and the penetration rate of air -conditioning in Italy and other countries is high. Residents who taste sweets will also affect the consumption concept of residents in other parts of Europe," Zhao Junjie said.

Chinese air conditioner export status quo

According to data provided by the China Family Electric Association to the Global Times reporter, affected by factors such as the epidemic and overseas factory resumption, the air conditioner in my country in the first half of 2022 was 9.17 million units exported to Europe, a year -on -year decrease of 0.1%, and the export volume increased by 18.8%year -on -year.

In this regard, Jiang Feng, Executive Chairman of the China Household Electric Association, analyzed in an interview with the Global Times reporter that from the perspective of the entire home appliance industry, Europe is the second largest market for home appliance exports in my country. Although in the first half of 2022 European exports have declined slightly, but the export volume has increased significantly. "This shows that my country's air -conditioning exports to the European market are undergoing product structure adjustment." However, Jiang Feng also revealed concerns, "Although European extreme high temperature weather has a positive impact on Chinese air -conditioning exports, due to short temperature time in Europe, high labor costs, energy tensions, insufficient consumption confidence, etc., this year, I want to break through the epidemic this year due to the epidemic situation last year. The new record of the new high is also very difficult. "

At present, there are many challenges in the European market. Haier's home air -conditioning European marketing director Zhao Liwei and Hisense International Marketing Air Conditioning Product Planning Department Chen Shaoan told the Global Times reporter that there are still insufficient competitiveness after the Chinese air -conditioning brand has gone abroad. The way Chinese air -conditioning enterprises "go out" are "OEM". "A quick -profit foundry model attracts a large number of enterprises to swarmed up, but in the long run, the company is always at the bottom of the value chain," Zhao Liwei told reporters that Haier insisted on the export of independent brands from the beginning of the export of Europe. Chen Shaoan emphasized that China ’s air conditioning in the future is more to compete with brand and product power.

Where is the breakthrough

Air conditioning has always been the leading category of Chinese home appliance exports. According to the data shared by Jiang Feng, the air conditioner made in China accounts for about 80 % of the world's, and the air conditioner is the only product category with an export value of more than 10 billion yuan in home appliances. Jiang Feng believes that if you want to go deep into the European market, Chinese air -conditioning manufacturers should continue to increase the promotion of energy -saving air -conditioning and continue to increase energy efficiency of export products. In addition, China is actively promoting the application of natural environmental refrigerant R290 on air conditioners.

"The impact of European high temperature on the export of Chinese air -conditioning cannot be simply predicted." Li Zhiqing, executive director of the Green Financial Research Center of Fudan University, said in an interview with the Global Times reporter that there are currently two paths to the world's to deal with extreme climate. Its core is to change the energy structure and reduce emissions; the other path is adapting to the climate, and the use of electrical appliances, including air conditioners, is an effective means in the field of climate adaptation. "Faced with the increasingly stringent emission standards and regulations around the world, how to improve human climate adaptability on the premise of controlling energy use is the focus of Chinese air -conditioning enterprises to increase attention and increase research and development investment." Li Zhiqing suggested that in the future, "green green Financial "" can include the production and consumption that supports climate adaptation. Against the background of European electricity prices, Li Zuodong, a professor at the Training Center of the Ministry of Commerce, put forward several paths to Europe, including the use of the "Belt and Road" transportation arteries, reducing the cost of air -conditioning transportation, grasping the international use of the "Belt and Road", and grasping the international The price of non -ferrous metal prices in the market, controlling raw materials, and joint European dealers and agents to train and install workers.