In a context of fierce ongoing price wars in the room air conditioner (RAC) segment, Chinese manufacturers are finding it difficult to make a profit in this segment and are turning to the central air conditioner segment as a new profitable development area. In China, the central air conditioner segment includes unitary systems, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems, and chillers.
According to data from aircon. com, the Chinese central air conditioner market hit a new record high sales level in 2021 with more than 25% year-on-year growth, after exceeding RMB 100 billion (about US$ 15 billion) sales for four consecutive years. Such rapid growth is attractive for many air conditioner manufacturers which have been struggling to make profits.