According to the regulations of the air-conditioner energy efficiency standard (that is, the current standard) introduced in 2004, the air-conditioner must upgrade the energy efficiency standard in 2009, that is, develop new energy efficiency standards. By then, the level 2 energy efficiency in the existing standards (Energy efficiency ratio is 3.2) will be Becoming the new standard of entry-level energy efficiency (ie, level 5). The air-conditioning energy efficiency achieves "triple jump", and the pressure on the air-conditioning machine is not too great.
Nowadays it has entered 2008, only one step away from 2009, which is the new energy efficiency standard. The reporter of “China Electronics News†has clearly felt the fear of air conditioner companies in the interview recently. How air-conditioning companies solve energy efficiency pressures has become a thorny issue that affects the entire air-conditioning industry chain. Recalling the introduction of air-conditioning energy efficiency standards in 2004 to adjust the company's practices, this time they will also pass this pressure to the air-conditioning compressor manufacturers? Professor Li Hongqi, a refrigeration technology expert at Beijing Polytechnic University, said in an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News that the compressor is the main energy-consuming component of the air-conditioner, accounting for more than 88% of the total energy consumption, and the efficiency of the compressor will be directly increased. Improve the efficiency of air conditioners.
High-efficiency compressors have been pushed to the front desk in such a context, but unfortunately, this response to the compressor companies has been "favorable." "China Electronics News" reporter learned from the compressor company in an interview that the high-efficiency potential of the compressor has been exhausted in the past few years, the current technology is experiencing a bottleneck period. Because of the limited space for energy efficiency improvement of compressors and the urgent need of air conditioner manufacturers, efficient technologies have become the focus of competition among compressor companies. From another perspective, that is, who can provide more efficient compressors, who will have more customers.
In the days when high-efficiency compressors have become the new darlings, it is necessary to do in-depth and meticulous scrutiny of their true situation. There is a reference from the manufacturers of air conditioners, which is also the original intention of this album.
Once the compressor was high hopes
The demand for high-efficiency compressors in the air-conditioning industry should be traced back to the introduction of air-conditioning energy efficiency standards in 2004. At that time, the pressure on air-conditioning machines was the same as the upgrade of energy-efficiency standards in 2009. The reality is that the air-conditioner energy-efficiency can reach level 5 with some difficulties. Therefore, the energy efficiency labeling system that should have been formally implemented on March 1, 2005 was forced to postpone until September 1, 2005.
Professor Li Hongqi said in his remembrance of this period of history: “Improve air-conditioning energy efficiency to meet the requirements of Level 5, not difficult for air-conditioning manufacturers, just increase the cost.†This is almost all air-conditioning companies in the industry at the time The questions raised by the High-Quality questions were asked, but the crux of the problem lies in the fact that the air-conditioning companies had a hard time in 2005, the prices of raw materials continued to rise, and the industry was undergoing a massive reshuffling process. No one had any “free money†to invest in improving energy efficiency. on.
The final result is obvious: First, the air conditioning energy efficiency level is generally poor. By the end of 2007, according to the statistics of Zhong Yikang, only 1% of the energy efficiency of Class 1 was achieved in sales of fixed speed air conditioners, and 2% -3% of the energy efficiency of Class 2 was achieved. The proportion of energy efficiency at level 5 is as high as 92%. This is a kind of statistic that is more “terroricâ€. According to statistics from the Energy Efficiency Label Management Center of the China National Institute of Standardization, about 70% of air conditioner products are Class 5 air conditioners, and air conditioners with Class 1 and Class 2 energy efficiency are less than 10%. . This figure is also not satisfactory.
Second, the air conditioners almost exclusively transfer the task of improving energy efficiency to upstream compressor manufacturers. As a representative of the entire machine company, Zhao Keke, director of Hisense Air Conditioning Research Institute, also admitted: “Air-conditioning manufacturers can actually increase energy efficiency by changing the cost of the two devices, but most manufacturers are not willing to do so. Instead of increasing costs, we chose to use high-efficiency compressors to increase the overall energy efficiency.†This method is obviously more direct, and when the air conditioners are increasingly concentrated and the customers of the compressor manufacturers become less and less The bargaining power of compressor manufacturers is gradually weakening. Faced with the requirements raised by air conditioner manufacturers, they can only absorb some of the increased costs of energy efficiency.
In fact, air conditioner manufacturers have been taking a short cut in terms of energy efficiency standards. It is a performance to perform only five levels of energy efficiency. Passing costs to the compressor manufacturers is also an indication. In the face of energy efficiency upgrade in 2009, are there any shortcuts for air conditioner manufacturers? It needs to be emphasized that according to the plan, the energy efficiency standards for 2009 are no longer just qualified issues, but “triple jumpsâ€, and 90% of the air-conditioning products on the market are unqualified. Air-conditioning compressors, once highly hopeful, have once again become the focus of the air-conditioning industry.
The compressor efficiently improves the bottleneck
But the fact is, "From the point of view, the space for improving the COP value of the compressor is not much. Air conditioner manufacturers should work hard at the overall efficiency of the heat exchanger." Shanghai Hitachi (Hai Li) Zhang Jun, a technical engineer of the compressor, said in an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News. Zhao Keke also once again admitted: "The potential for compressors to improve energy efficiency has been tapped in recent years."
What is the compressor that achieves what kind of energy efficiency level? "China Electronics News" received similar answers when interviewing compressor manufacturers such as Meizhi, Panasonic, LG, Sanyo, and Lingda, that is, the average COP value of the compressor is 3.0-3.15, which is partially used to deal with energy efficiency of Level 2 The above air conditioner compressor can reach 3.2 or more.
Zhang Jun believes that this is already a very high level of energy efficiency. His further introduction is: At present, the COP value of the 50HZ compressor reaches 3.25 at the highest, and the COP value of the 60HZ compressor reaches 3.27 at the highest. Theoretically speaking, even increasing the value of 0.01 on this basis will be very difficult. This is mainly manifested in the technical bottleneck of compressor motor efficiency improvement and structural improvement.
Further raising the level of energy efficiency in compressors has become a recognized problem in the industry. However, it should be noted that compressors with a current level of 3.2 or higher can also handle air conditioners with energy efficiency levels above 2. However, if the current COP of the compressor is increased from 3.15 to 3.25, the compressor manufacturers must face the increase in cost.
In response to an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News, Zhang Xiaoqing of Meizhi Compressor Marketing Division stated: “Only considering the material cost (not considering raw material price increase factors), it may need to increase the cost by 10% or more. The investment may be even greater.†The other makers of Panasonic and other compressors have given the same response. The increase in cost is acceptable, and what is truly unacceptable is that the compressor manufacturer must bear the cost alone. Zhang Xiaoqing stated: "This increase in cost is far greater than the profitability of the current product itself, so the compressor manufacturers alone cannot digest it."
What needs to be reminded is that in the upgrade of air-conditioning energy efficiency in 2009, it is highly probable that the provisions for heating energy efficiency will also be increased, which is a cost increase for the compressor. At the same time, it also faces challenges in the realization of technology. Zhao Keke said: "If the heating and cooling energy efficiency are taken into account at the same time, fixed speed compressors will first face great challenges in terms of comfort. Compressors and air conditioners have to be forced to change the technical route."
Outbound sightings for frequency conversion and vortexing
Obviously, compressors are facing two major difficulties in improving energy efficiency. First, based on the highest available COP value, the technical space is already limited. If it is necessary to do related development, it will take a long time. Converting a low COP value into a high COP value that can now be achieved requires cost support. The reality is that compressor manufacturers have no power or do not want to independently assume such cost increases. Therefore, from this point of view, whether the improvement of the energy efficiency of the compressor has become the focus of competition among the current compressor manufacturers.
In fact, from the results of an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News, we can see that first-line compressor manufacturers such as Highly, Meizhi and Panasonic have begun to do matching tests for higher energy efficiency compressors (Note: compression of the same COP value Machines, different air conditioners will produce air conditioners with different energy efficiency levels, and there are still matching technical problems between the compressor and the machine. Zhang Jun also said that Haili is trying to use air conditioners to design compressors in order to obtain efficient air conditioning. This is a change in design thinking. (Note: Under normal circumstances, the COP value of the air conditioning environment is different from the COP value of the compressor, which leads to a high COP value for the compressor.)
However, no matter which method will involve the issue of time and cost, and how much energy efficiency can be improved is still unknown, Zhang Jun has always stressed that "these are trials." Air conditioner manufacturers have access to compressors to solve energy efficiency problems and encountered real trouble. However, the compressor industry is not without a quick solution to energy efficiency problems. In the interview, compressor manufacturers agreed that inverter compressors and scroll compressors have certain advantages.
Vortex products in the design technology than the rotor compressor easier to lose less, more efficient, product energy efficiency can be increased by about 40%, and its COP value is mostly 3.4 or more. However, it should be pointed out that scroll compressors are currently used in large number-of-pair air conditioners. In addition, the processing costs are still high at the present stage, which causes the high cost of air-conditioning systems. Changhong’s air conditioners said in an interview with “China Electronics News†reporter: “ The cost of the scroll compressor is more than 30% higher than that of the rotor compressor, and this cost is transferred to the improvement of the efficiency of the heat exchanger. The efficiency of the rotor compressor system can also be realized. Therefore, the air conditioner manufacturer adopts a scroll compressor. Not much.
As a result, inverter compressors have really become the focus of an efficient context. The frequency conversion product can adjust the compressor operating frequency (capacity) according to the actual demand load. The compressor has few opening and shutting down times. After the stabilization, the air conditioner can maintain the high efficiency and low frequency operation of the whole machine, and the energy efficiency is relatively high. From the new air-conditioner products that are listed in the 2008 frozen year, it can be seen that most of them are inverter air conditioners, and major air conditioner manufacturers have begun to focus on the development of inverter air conditioners. Inverter air conditioner is very likely to become another short cut for energy efficiency upgrades in 2009. The current national energy efficiency standards for inverter air conditioners will soon be formally introduced.
Nowadays it has entered 2008, only one step away from 2009, which is the new energy efficiency standard. The reporter of “China Electronics News†has clearly felt the fear of air conditioner companies in the interview recently. How air-conditioning companies solve energy efficiency pressures has become a thorny issue that affects the entire air-conditioning industry chain. Recalling the introduction of air-conditioning energy efficiency standards in 2004 to adjust the company's practices, this time they will also pass this pressure to the air-conditioning compressor manufacturers? Professor Li Hongqi, a refrigeration technology expert at Beijing Polytechnic University, said in an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News that the compressor is the main energy-consuming component of the air-conditioner, accounting for more than 88% of the total energy consumption, and the efficiency of the compressor will be directly increased. Improve the efficiency of air conditioners.
High-efficiency compressors have been pushed to the front desk in such a context, but unfortunately, this response to the compressor companies has been "favorable." "China Electronics News" reporter learned from the compressor company in an interview that the high-efficiency potential of the compressor has been exhausted in the past few years, the current technology is experiencing a bottleneck period. Because of the limited space for energy efficiency improvement of compressors and the urgent need of air conditioner manufacturers, efficient technologies have become the focus of competition among compressor companies. From another perspective, that is, who can provide more efficient compressors, who will have more customers.
In the days when high-efficiency compressors have become the new darlings, it is necessary to do in-depth and meticulous scrutiny of their true situation. There is a reference from the manufacturers of air conditioners, which is also the original intention of this album.
Once the compressor was high hopes
The demand for high-efficiency compressors in the air-conditioning industry should be traced back to the introduction of air-conditioning energy efficiency standards in 2004. At that time, the pressure on air-conditioning machines was the same as the upgrade of energy-efficiency standards in 2009. The reality is that the air-conditioner energy-efficiency can reach level 5 with some difficulties. Therefore, the energy efficiency labeling system that should have been formally implemented on March 1, 2005 was forced to postpone until September 1, 2005.
Professor Li Hongqi said in his remembrance of this period of history: “Improve air-conditioning energy efficiency to meet the requirements of Level 5, not difficult for air-conditioning manufacturers, just increase the cost.†This is almost all air-conditioning companies in the industry at the time The questions raised by the High-Quality questions were asked, but the crux of the problem lies in the fact that the air-conditioning companies had a hard time in 2005, the prices of raw materials continued to rise, and the industry was undergoing a massive reshuffling process. No one had any “free money†to invest in improving energy efficiency. on.
The final result is obvious: First, the air conditioning energy efficiency level is generally poor. By the end of 2007, according to the statistics of Zhong Yikang, only 1% of the energy efficiency of Class 1 was achieved in sales of fixed speed air conditioners, and 2% -3% of the energy efficiency of Class 2 was achieved. The proportion of energy efficiency at level 5 is as high as 92%. This is a kind of statistic that is more “terroricâ€. According to statistics from the Energy Efficiency Label Management Center of the China National Institute of Standardization, about 70% of air conditioner products are Class 5 air conditioners, and air conditioners with Class 1 and Class 2 energy efficiency are less than 10%. . This figure is also not satisfactory.
Second, the air conditioners almost exclusively transfer the task of improving energy efficiency to upstream compressor manufacturers. As a representative of the entire machine company, Zhao Keke, director of Hisense Air Conditioning Research Institute, also admitted: “Air-conditioning manufacturers can actually increase energy efficiency by changing the cost of the two devices, but most manufacturers are not willing to do so. Instead of increasing costs, we chose to use high-efficiency compressors to increase the overall energy efficiency.†This method is obviously more direct, and when the air conditioners are increasingly concentrated and the customers of the compressor manufacturers become less and less The bargaining power of compressor manufacturers is gradually weakening. Faced with the requirements raised by air conditioner manufacturers, they can only absorb some of the increased costs of energy efficiency.
In fact, air conditioner manufacturers have been taking a short cut in terms of energy efficiency standards. It is a performance to perform only five levels of energy efficiency. Passing costs to the compressor manufacturers is also an indication. In the face of energy efficiency upgrade in 2009, are there any shortcuts for air conditioner manufacturers? It needs to be emphasized that according to the plan, the energy efficiency standards for 2009 are no longer just qualified issues, but “triple jumpsâ€, and 90% of the air-conditioning products on the market are unqualified. Air-conditioning compressors, once highly hopeful, have once again become the focus of the air-conditioning industry.
The compressor efficiently improves the bottleneck
But the fact is, "From the point of view, the space for improving the COP value of the compressor is not much. Air conditioner manufacturers should work hard at the overall efficiency of the heat exchanger." Shanghai Hitachi (Hai Li) Zhang Jun, a technical engineer of the compressor, said in an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News. Zhao Keke also once again admitted: "The potential for compressors to improve energy efficiency has been tapped in recent years."
What is the compressor that achieves what kind of energy efficiency level? "China Electronics News" received similar answers when interviewing compressor manufacturers such as Meizhi, Panasonic, LG, Sanyo, and Lingda, that is, the average COP value of the compressor is 3.0-3.15, which is partially used to deal with energy efficiency of Level 2 The above air conditioner compressor can reach 3.2 or more.
Zhang Jun believes that this is already a very high level of energy efficiency. His further introduction is: At present, the COP value of the 50HZ compressor reaches 3.25 at the highest, and the COP value of the 60HZ compressor reaches 3.27 at the highest. Theoretically speaking, even increasing the value of 0.01 on this basis will be very difficult. This is mainly manifested in the technical bottleneck of compressor motor efficiency improvement and structural improvement.
Further raising the level of energy efficiency in compressors has become a recognized problem in the industry. However, it should be noted that compressors with a current level of 3.2 or higher can also handle air conditioners with energy efficiency levels above 2. However, if the current COP of the compressor is increased from 3.15 to 3.25, the compressor manufacturers must face the increase in cost.
In response to an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News, Zhang Xiaoqing of Meizhi Compressor Marketing Division stated: “Only considering the material cost (not considering raw material price increase factors), it may need to increase the cost by 10% or more. The investment may be even greater.†The other makers of Panasonic and other compressors have given the same response. The increase in cost is acceptable, and what is truly unacceptable is that the compressor manufacturer must bear the cost alone. Zhang Xiaoqing stated: "This increase in cost is far greater than the profitability of the current product itself, so the compressor manufacturers alone cannot digest it."
What needs to be reminded is that in the upgrade of air-conditioning energy efficiency in 2009, it is highly probable that the provisions for heating energy efficiency will also be increased, which is a cost increase for the compressor. At the same time, it also faces challenges in the realization of technology. Zhao Keke said: "If the heating and cooling energy efficiency are taken into account at the same time, fixed speed compressors will first face great challenges in terms of comfort. Compressors and air conditioners have to be forced to change the technical route."
Outbound sightings for frequency conversion and vortexing
Obviously, compressors are facing two major difficulties in improving energy efficiency. First, based on the highest available COP value, the technical space is already limited. If it is necessary to do related development, it will take a long time. Converting a low COP value into a high COP value that can now be achieved requires cost support. The reality is that compressor manufacturers have no power or do not want to independently assume such cost increases. Therefore, from this point of view, whether the improvement of the energy efficiency of the compressor has become the focus of competition among the current compressor manufacturers.
In fact, from the results of an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News, we can see that first-line compressor manufacturers such as Highly, Meizhi and Panasonic have begun to do matching tests for higher energy efficiency compressors (Note: compression of the same COP value Machines, different air conditioners will produce air conditioners with different energy efficiency levels, and there are still matching technical problems between the compressor and the machine. Zhang Jun also said that Haili is trying to use air conditioners to design compressors in order to obtain efficient air conditioning. This is a change in design thinking. (Note: Under normal circumstances, the COP value of the air conditioning environment is different from the COP value of the compressor, which leads to a high COP value for the compressor.)
However, no matter which method will involve the issue of time and cost, and how much energy efficiency can be improved is still unknown, Zhang Jun has always stressed that "these are trials." Air conditioner manufacturers have access to compressors to solve energy efficiency problems and encountered real trouble. However, the compressor industry is not without a quick solution to energy efficiency problems. In the interview, compressor manufacturers agreed that inverter compressors and scroll compressors have certain advantages.
Vortex products in the design technology than the rotor compressor easier to lose less, more efficient, product energy efficiency can be increased by about 40%, and its COP value is mostly 3.4 or more. However, it should be pointed out that scroll compressors are currently used in large number-of-pair air conditioners. In addition, the processing costs are still high at the present stage, which causes the high cost of air-conditioning systems. Changhong’s air conditioners said in an interview with “China Electronics News†reporter: “ The cost of the scroll compressor is more than 30% higher than that of the rotor compressor, and this cost is transferred to the improvement of the efficiency of the heat exchanger. The efficiency of the rotor compressor system can also be realized. Therefore, the air conditioner manufacturer adopts a scroll compressor. Not much.
As a result, inverter compressors have really become the focus of an efficient context. The frequency conversion product can adjust the compressor operating frequency (capacity) according to the actual demand load. The compressor has few opening and shutting down times. After the stabilization, the air conditioner can maintain the high efficiency and low frequency operation of the whole machine, and the energy efficiency is relatively high. From the new air-conditioner products that are listed in the 2008 frozen year, it can be seen that most of them are inverter air conditioners, and major air conditioner manufacturers have begun to focus on the development of inverter air conditioners. Inverter air conditioner is very likely to become another short cut for energy efficiency upgrades in 2009. The current national energy efficiency standards for inverter air conditioners will soon be formally introduced.