New Energy Efficiency Licensing Implements Home Appliance Industry Reshuffle

There are 45 days left before the official implementation of the new energy efficiency rating standard. Major home appliances manufacturers have begun to lay out in advance. “We are all ready. We can produce according to the new standard immediately on October 1.” On August 14, Liu Weizhi, the vice president of Skyworth Group, told this newspaper.

Previously, the National Standardization Administration announced that five types of household electrical appliances, including flat-panel TVs, variable-frequency air conditioners, washing machines, range hoods, and air-energy water heaters, will implement new energy efficiency standards from October 1 onwards, including those in inverter air-conditioning energy efficiency standards. The introduction of the APF assessment index, from the past only a certain period of assessment of energy consumption into a full-year assessment, greatly improving the energy-saving industry's energy-saving threshold.

However, as of now, the relevant national ministries have not released new energy efficiency labels. At the same time, industry sources have reported that the new energy efficiency rating standards will be introduced at the same time as the new round of energy-saving home appliance subsidy policies. However, due to differences at the relevant ministries and commission levels, there has been a delay. Issued.

Industry reshuffle soon

Of the new energy efficiency standards to be formally implemented on October 1, only the energy efficiency standards for range hoods and air energy heaters were first formulated and promulgated. Liu Yuzhi believes that the current level of energy efficiency of flat-panel TVs has reached a relatively high level, so the new standard has little pressure on TV companies to upgrade.

Relatively speaking, new standards for energy efficiency of inverter air conditioners and air energy heaters have a greater impact on the industry. According to the newspaper's understanding, the air energy water heater industry that has only recently emerged has developed rapidly but due to the lack of uniform energy efficiency standards, the level of manufacturers is uneven.

According to public information, China's water heater market has a capacity of about more than RMB 200 billion, and the market share of air energy is only 5%. The top ten sales are more famous except for Midea, China Guangsuo Outes, Gree, and New Entai. Is an unknown domestic small and medium-sized brands.

“Running inefficiently, freezing machine frequency, or even using a used compressor to replace one hand is a problem that is often found.” The industry estimates that at least 20% of air energy water heater products will be eliminated after the implementation of energy efficiency standards. The number of water heater manufacturers will also be reduced, and the industry will usher in a major reshuffle.

In addition, inverter air conditioners are also one of the biggest influencers in the implementation of this new standard. According to the newspaper's understanding, unlike previous SEER indicators, the newly introduced APF standard will assess the energy consumption level of the entire year from natural refrigeration and heating. In addition, the new standard will also increase the energy efficiency limit of inverter air conditioners from the current 3.0 to 3.9. This means that the original level 1 and 2 energy-efficiency air conditioners will be automatically reduced by 1 level, and a higher standard level 1 energy efficiency rating will be added.

Although inverter air conditioners currently implement five-level access indicators, the market's average energy efficiency level is three. According to the above adjustment, the original 2-level frequency conversion product will become the basic entry-level model, and the original 3-level frequency conversion product will not be allowed to be remanufactured and sold.

The president of the China Household Electrical Appliances Research Institute, Yan Xuwei, believes that the new inverter air conditioner energy efficiency standards have greatly improved the product's access threshold, and the air conditioner manufacturers have put forward higher requirements in terms of the matching of refrigeration systems and frequency conversion control technologies.

However, Liu Heqing, a senior observer of the home appliance industry, believes that the standard is too high and many companies cannot achieve it. "The new energy efficiency standards increase the manufacturer's production costs, and ultimately will be transmitted to the product, the future inverter air conditioner will usher in rising prices." Liu Heqing said.

Although the new standard gives companies a year's buffer time to digest the original inventory, but due to the previous round of energy-saving subsidies in advance of heavy volume, June and July are in the off-season consumption of home appliances, the current inventory of major home appliances companies are at a high level Therefore, many companies still played a price reduction promotion card.

On August 1, Galanz reduced its "U Yue" series 1.5-pitch DC inverter air conditioner to 2,999 yuan; on the 15th, Skyworth also presented the 25th anniversary collection boutique 55E780U straight down 2,000 yuan, the lowest in the history of 8999 yuan "concessional consumers ".

Manufacturers advance layout

At the 2014 New Product Launch Conference in the United States, the reporter has already seen the compliance with APF energy efficiency products. According to Wu Wenxin, president of Midea Home Air Conditioning Division, Midea has completed the R&D switch and production preparation work for all APF standard inverter air conditioner models.

In addition, Gree, Galanz, and Chihshang air-conditioning production companies have also announced the completion of the new APF switch. "The sooner we prepare and lay out, we will be able to occupy the market first." Wu Wenxin said that Midea's air-conditioner will fully exert its power in the mid- to high-end inverter air-conditioner market and increase overall sales performance.

Galanz, on the other hand, believes that the expiry of energy-saving and human-friendly project policies and the introduction of new energy efficiency rating standards have tested the rapid resource adjustment capabilities and technological accumulation of each air-conditioning company. According to Lu Lanlie, assistant president of Galanz Group, Galanz will comprehensively promote the popularization of inverter air conditioners in various e-commerce outlets, supermarkets, landmark stores, and chain stores.

“We want an incremental market, and e-commerce is not a promotion for us but an important channel for advancing the entire industry strategy.” Lu Yonglie said.

With Gree's Almighty King, Midea's Shang arc series, Zhigaoyun Inverter Air Conditioner, Hisense's A8 and other products, it has "struck a breakthrough" and eventually built an endogenous growth system for China's air-conditioning industry. According to statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, sales of household air conditioners for the period from January to June this year increased by 3.64% year-on-year, sales increased by 17.1% year-on-year, and profits increased by 36.2% year-on-year.

Jia Dongsheng, general manager of Beijing Zhong Yikang Company, believes that with the full formation of the social energy-saving atmosphere, high-efficiency inverter air conditioners will grow rapidly and will represent the mainstream of the air-conditioning industry's future development. China Yikang's retail monitoring data showed that in the January-June 2013 period of high-efficiency (first and second-tier) inverter air conditioners, Midea ranked first in sales of 27.7%.

Wu Wenxin told the newspaper that the current US ECO frequency conversion energy-saving products accounted for 30% of the total sales of the United States, he predicted that this year's ECO energy-saving products will account for more than 50%.