On June 25, the 2026 work meeting and leadership transition meeting of the Air Conditioning Professional Committee of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association was held in Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong. Gao Qiang, Deputy Director of Sanhua Research Institute; Yuan Ze, Deputy General Manager of the Residential Business Unit; and Zeng Minchu, Marketing Director of the Residential Business Unit, attended the meeting on behalf of Sanhua. More than 80 representatives from 38 committee member companies and seven observing enterprises, including China’s mainstream air-conditioning brands and core component manufacturers, participated in the meeting.
The meeting featured in-depth discussions on key industry topics, including market conditions, revisions to energy efficiency standards, industrialization of R290 refrigerant, and efforts to curb excessive internal competition. On the market front, the industry is facing the triple pressure of high inventory, weak demand, and rising costs. On the technology front, the revision of the energy efficiency standard GB 21455-2019 has introduced dynamic energy efficiency evaluation methods and carbon emission factors, while the industrialization of R290 refrigerant is accelerating. “Navigating the cycle through technological innovation” became a broad consensus among the participants.
Following an on-site secret ballot, Sanhua was elected as a vice chair unit of the Third Air Conditioning Professional Committee. Other newly elected vice chair units include key enterprises across the industrial chain, such as Midea, TCL, AUX, Highly, Gree, Hisense, Daikin, GMCC, and Xiaomi. This leadership transition marks a new stage in the committee’s industry representation and cohesion, while Sanhua’s election fully demonstrates the industry’s recognition of its technological strength, global influence, and industrial contributions.
During the exchange and discussion session, Dr. Gao Qiang, Deputy Director of Sanhua R&D Center, shared suggestions on core industry issues. He noted that Chinese enterprises still need to achieve sustained breakthroughs in high-end and leading technologies, and should add value to products through premiumization and intelligence. He suggested further raising energy efficiency standards, especially for high-end products, which would play a significant role in enhancing the export image of Chinese air-conditioning products. Regarding the application of R290 refrigerant in residential air conditioners, Dr. Gao said that after learning about the actual operating data of R290 air conditioners, he is confident in the technology and fully supports its development direction, calling on the industry to work together to accelerate its adoption. He also emphasized that Sanhua has accumulated extensive experience in global deployment and is willing to provide collaboration and support to domestic air-conditioning OEMs and industrial-chain enterprises as they expand overseas, helping China’s air-conditioning industry build stronger collaborative competitiveness in the global market.
As a global leader in control components for refrigeration and air conditioning, Sanhua holds leading global market shares in core products such as electronic expansion valves and four-way reversing valves, and has served in important roles in multiple international industry organizations, including AHRI. Looking ahead, Sanhua will continue to leverage the committee platform and work with partners across the industrial chain to take an active role in technological innovation, standards leadership, green and low-carbon transformation, and global collaboration, jointly promoting China’s air-conditioning industry toward higher-quality and more sustainable development.
