ASHRAE Journal - August 2008 - (Page 6)

The Buzz Is Quality As China Matures SHANGHAI—As the Chinese economy evolves, so does China Refrigeration Expo, the annual Chinese trade fair for air conditioning and refrigeration. With consumer demand in China surging for electronic goods and manufacturing and commerce exploding, exhibitors at this year’s Expo focused on higher quality—better performing products, more energyefficient products, and more reliable products. The facts are staggering. Half of the world’s new building construction will take place in China between now and 2015, says The World Bank. Since 2000, the number of Chinese households with air conditioning has tripled. Of a world market for air conditioning valued at $62 billion, China’s share is $12 billion. According to the State Council of China, the country accounted for 70% of the 89.8 million units produced worldwide in 2007. But the market landscape in China is changing as well as growing. Brand consolidation, increased energy and environmental regulation, and demand for added features and improved service life are all shaping China’s air-conditioning industry. China Refrigeration Sustainability at the Beijing Olympic Games was promoted by Carrier, a major HVAC supplier for the 2008 Games. Fourteen companies, led by Haier, Gree, and Midea, dominate a domestic market that as recently as 2002 was served by more than 400 brands. Despite the dominance of Chinese manufacturers in the domestic market, Chinese customers seeking advanced technology and machinery continue to look abroad. One reason is that tougher energy standards make quality improvement a moving target in China. See China, Page 9                                www.info.hotims.com/16017-27 www.info.hotims.com/16017-68 6 ASHRAE Journal August 2008 http://www.ductformer.com http://www.ductformer.com http://www.info.hotims.com/16017-27 http://www.info.hotims.com/16017-68

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - August 2008

ASHRAE Journal - August 2008 Contents Commentary Industry News Letters Meetings and Shows Maintain to Sustain—Delivering ASHRAE’s Sustainability Promise Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation: Current Best Practices Improving Humidity Control With Energy Recovery Ventilation Single- or Two-Stage Compression Data Center Cooling: Using Wet-Bulb Economizers Building Sciences InfoCenter Practical Pointers Products Emerging Technologies Washington Report People Special Products Classified Advertising Advertising Index

ASHRAE Journal - August 2008

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