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China air conditioner standards – its most stringent ever

CHINA: Stringent new energy efficiency standards for room air conditioning units could eliminate most fixed frequency units and 50% of variable frequency room AC units from the Chinese market.

Described as China’s most stringent ever, the new standards introduced on July 1 brings fixed frequency AC and variable frequency AC into one scale, ranging from grade 5 to grade 1.

The new grade 1 is now comparable to the top grades in Japan and the US. The new minimum allowable efficiency for variable-frequency room air conditioners (grade 3) is also said to be comparable with the allowable values in the EU and the US.

At present, only a few products on the Chinese market can reach the highest energy efficiency grade of the new standard.

Current air conditioning products manufactured or imported before the implementation of the new standard can still be sold up until June 30, next year.

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