The 1 billionth air conditioning compressor

From the trajectory of the large-scale development of China's air conditioning manufacturing industry in recent years, it can be seen that the industry's path forward can no longer be viewed solely from the perspective of the domestic market. Many years ago, it is likely that most companies did not anticipate that the production and sales scale of the air conditioning industry could reach the current platform calculated in hundreds of millions of units, just as the epic growth trend in the export market in 2024 shows that globalization is the core direction for the air conditioning industry to achieve large-scale breakthroughs again.

The key basis for this conclusion is the production and sales data of compressors. In fact, China's compressor manufacturing holds a more solid position in the global market than the complete air conditioning units. This phenomenon is not only reflected in production and sales volume but also validated by the continuous emergence of innovative technologies and solutions, as evidenced by the performance of GMCC Meizhi air conditioning compressors over the past year.

On September 3, 2024, GMCC Meizhi's one billionth air conditioning compressor rolled off the production line, and the "cumulative sales of rotary compressors" also earned a Guinness World Record. Just five years ago, GMCC Meizhi had only just surpassed the cumulative production and sales of 500 million compressors. This means that over the past five years, GMCC Meizhi has averaged an annual production and sales volume of 100 million compressors.

The reason GMCC Meizhi has been able to draw such a dazzling growth curve is undoubtedly due to the continuous upward trend of the air conditioning industry in the global market. The one billionth air conditioning compressor is also a microcosm of the industry's development. In 2023, the domestic household air conditioning market set a historical record with nearly 100 million units shipped, and the total export volume for the same year surpassed any previous year. In 2024, the export market experienced a rare explosive growth, with total exports exceeding 90 million units.

The steadily increasing global demand for air conditioners has provided abundant growth opportunities for the upstream supply chain. Additionally, from the market layout of almost all air conditioning manufacturing plants in 2024, it can be seen that overseas regions will provide even greater incremental space for Chinese manufacturing in the future, which will drive another leap in compressor production and sales. However, not every compressor company can seize such opportunities during the growth phase, as the fundamental factor lies in product competitiveness and technological innovation capabilities.

Taking GMCC Meizhi as an example, on September 3rd, GMCC Meizhi launched a series of new products, including a 15-slot 10-pole variable frequency rotary compressor, a Middle East-specific fixed-speed scroll compressor, and a European Class A ultra-high-efficiency variable frequency refrigerator compressor.

Throughout 2024, GMCC Meizhi accelerated the market introduction of its innovative products and technologies. At the "2024 China Refrigeration Exhibition," GMCC Meizhi showcased its integrated variable frequency rotary compressor, commercial compact high-efficiency variable frequency scroll compressor, and ultra-quiet heat pump heating compressor. Among them, the integrated variable frequency rotary compressor was an industry first, revolutionizing the product form of rotary compressors that had remained unchanged for a century, and it was backed by 97 patents.

Earlier during the "2024 AWE," GMCC launched an ultra-high-efficiency refrigerator compressor, facilitating the further upgrade of Class A energy-efficient refrigerator products, particularly in the European market. It is worth mentioning that in 2023, GMCC also introduced a new dual-suction variable frequency refrigerator compressor.

The innovation pace and corresponding solutions of this leading supplier of core components in the home appliance industry also highlight future industry trends. On one hand, variable frequency and high energy efficiency will be the main development path for the global market, and the structural upgrade of the market will inevitably impose higher technological innovation demands on core component companies. On the other hand, miniaturization, compactness, quietness, and high energy efficiency are also guiding principles for further breakthroughs in compressor product technology.