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Midea and AHRI meet to discuss collaboration

Collaboration discussions (left to right): Dennis Lee, vice president of MBT International Business; Vincent Chou, vice president of Midea’s Residential AC Division; Stephen Yurek, president of AHRI; Louis Zhao, president of Midea’s Residential AC Division; Bridge Xue, vice president of AHRI; Jenny Zhang, project manager for AHRI

CHINA/USA: Midea has met with representatives of the US Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) to discus future collaboration on regional energy efficiency standards and streamline regulatory pathways. 

The AHRI delegation, led by president Stephen Yurek, also recognised Midea for achieving 100% compliance in AHRI’s three consecutive years of certification testing in categories including vehicle mounted air conditioners, packaged terminal heat pumps and packaged terminal air conditioners. 

The meeting is seen as a pivotal step toward co-developing global standards and advancing international collaboration in high-performance HVAC solutions. 

Both parties are said to have explored collaboration frameworks for accelerating electrification and inverter technology adoption through high-efficiency solutions, jointly developing efficiency and quality standards based on local usage insights and to build foundational regulatory systems to foster healthy competition.

The discussions focused on leveraging AHRI’s expanding footprint – including its new Singapore/Dubai offices – to accelerate regulatory harmonisation. This alignment ensures Midea’s systems qualify for key incentive programmes like federal/regional heat pump rebates tied to high-efficiency standards.

Since 2017, Midea has collaborated with AHRI to actively participate in developing standards for multiple projects including high-efficiency low-temperature heating, eco-friendly refrigerants, and CVP, jointly advancing industry energy efficiency models using R454B refrigerant.

Midea also actively participates in key leadership and technical forums, including standing committees on certification and global services and a broad range of working groups. 

This active involvement culminated with Midea becoming the first Chinese brand admitted into AHRI’s central ducted systems unitary section leadership council.

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