The debate over air conditioner energy efficiency has intensified. Multiple brands have simultaneously launched "energy-saving air conditioners" with an APF (Annual Performance Factor) exceeding 6.0, promoting a combination of "high efficiency and low price."
Amid this trend, Zhu Lei, the CMO of Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai, revealed insider information, claiming that current air conditioners on the market with an APF over 6 do not represent a technological breakthrough. He asserted that they are essentially a numbers game based on algorithmic manipulation, serving as a gimmick that misleads consumers.
Zhu Lei stated directly that this practice exploits loopholes in the national standard GB 21455-2019. By optimizing performance specifically at a few key temperature points used for testing, the claimed efficiency data can only be achieved in laboratory conditions. In actual home use, it is impossible to attain the energy-saving effects demonstrated in the lab.
Furthermore, he disclosed that the APF values of some competitors' parent brands are even lower than those of the sub-brands they have acquired.
Which brands align with Gree's allegations? An investigation reveals that several brands, including Kelon, Hisense, Haier, Hualing, MEIPONT, Aux, and TCL, have air conditioner products on sale with APF values exceeding 6. Among them, Kelon is a brand under the Hisense Group, and Hualing is a brand under the Midea Group. The APF values of these sub-brands' products have surpassed those of their respective parent brands.
However, multiple brands have denied Gree's claims. Customer service representatives for Hualing and Kelon stated that their product information is accurately described and based on real data. A Hisense customer service representative called such remarks nonsense, emphasizing that their products are certified by national authorities before being released to the market. A relevant person from the China National Institute of Standardization explained that the energy efficiency labels themselves currently lack anti-counterfeiting features. Authorities provide the style requirements for the labels, and companies mass-produce them accordingly. If false labeling is suspected, relevant departments must commission qualified laboratories to conduct new tests.
Who is setting new APF records? "Which company has a parent brand with a lower APF value than a sub-brand it acquired? Which company has more expensive products with lower APF values than its cheaper ones? Isn't that strange?" Gree's CMO Zhu Lei was sharp in his comments during an exchange event. "Why do classic brands consistently maintain APF values around 5.3 or 5.4, while the industry suddenly sees values of 6.3? This exploits loopholes in the existing testing standards."
Zhu Lei's criticism seems targeted. In fact, many air conditioner brands emphasize during promotion that consumers should pay attention to the APF value when choosing an air conditioner, stating that a higher APF value means greater energy savings.
An investigation found that several brands, including Kelon, Hisense, Haier, Hualing, MEIPONT, Aux, and TCL, have air conditioner products on sale with APF values exceeding 6. Specific models include the Kelon Jing Shengdian Ultra 1.5HP, Hisense Zhi Shengdian Ultra Wall-mounted New Level 1 Efficiency 1.5HP, Haier Inverter Wall-mounted Bedroom Air Conditioner Jing Shengdian Plus 1.5HP, Hualing Shenji II Super Shengdian Bedroom Wall-mounted 1.5HP, MEIPONT HarmonyOS Smart Selection 1.5HP Fengshen Zhiyan, Aux Shengdian Xia 1.5HP, and TCL Xiao Lanyi Zhen Shengdian Max 1.5HP.
Regarding how much electricity an air conditioner with an APF over 6 can save, a Hualing representative stated that for a 1.5HP Level 1 efficiency unit tested in a lab environment, cooling for one hour consumes approximately 0.3 kWh, heating consumes about 0.65 kWh, and heating with auxiliary electric heat consumes about 1.7 kWh per hour. These figures represent average annual energy consumption under standard laboratory conditions. Actual usage may vary slightly due to factors like room height, top-floor location, or western sun exposure. When asked about the difference between lab and home conditions, the representative said laboratory data can be used as a reference.
Haier stated that it could not provide specific energy-saving data.
Kelon believes that its Jing Shengdian Ultra 1.5HP model with an APF of 6.26 consumes approximately 16% less electricity than a model with an APF of 5.1.
It is noteworthy that among the brands selling air conditioners with APF values over 6, Kelon, under the Hisense Group, has set a new industry high with its Jing Shengdian model's APF. Hualing, under the Midea Group, also has an APF value exceeding that of its parent brand. Midea stated that its currently sold air conditioner products do not have APF values exceeding 6, with the highest APF for a 1.5HP wall-mounted unit currently being 5.8. Hisense also confirmed that the highest APF value for its sold products is 6.2. These brands fit the scenario described by Zhu Lei.
Is there a "sleight of hand" in air conditioner energy efficiency? Zhu Lei claimed that when testing departments calculate energy efficiency, they measure power consumption at several key temperature points, such as 24°C, 29°C, and 35°C. The annual efficiency value is then extrapolated based on the data from these points. Some companies use algorithms or specific calibrations to minimize power consumption precisely at these test temperatures, regardless of consumption at other temperatures.
An insider in the air conditioning industry revealed that the current APF efficiency standard indeed has exploitable aspects in its testing methodology. Specifically, the standard does not impose clear limits on cooling capacity and power consumption at the 29°C intermediate cooling condition. Some products can intentionally reduce cooling capacity and operating power at this temperature point while artificially increasing the intermediate cooling power at the 35°C condition. This manipulation increases the slope of the power curve in the medium-to-low load range. Such adjustments can result in calculated "negative power" at low load points, thereby inflating the nominal APF value without changing the hardware configuration. Additionally, there are instances where the实测能效 of some products does not reach 95% of their claimed APF value, indicating a need for stricter consistency in standard implementation and result verification.
In reality, the battle over energy efficiency in the air conditioning industry has never ceased. In 2019, Gree publicly reported that eight Aux air conditioner models had exaggerated energy efficiency ratings. An investigation by the Ningbo Market Supervision Administration confirmed that Aux had engaged in false宣传 by having "energy efficiency labels that did not match reality," resulting in a fine of 100,000 yuan and a mandatory recall of the related products.
Zhu Lei disclosed that Gree is promoting a new dynamic energy-saving algorithm testing standard that can more accurately reflect a product's energy efficiency in real-world usage environments.
For consumers, another industry "open secret" is more concerning. Zhu Lei also indicated that the QR code information on the energy efficiency labels of some air conditioner products does not match the data in the official备案 database, making it impossible for consumers to verify the真实数据.
Regarding this issue, contact was made with a relevant person at the China National Institute of Standardization. This person stated that using false energy efficiency labels on products is涉嫌违法, and consumers can report it to local market supervision departments.
Regarding how to verify the authenticity of an energy efficiency label, the person suggested that consumers can scan the QR code on the label. Normally, this should directly lead to the relevant product information page on the China Energy Label website, where they can check if the online information matches the product's actual details. If it does not match, there is a problem. Alternatively, consumers can directly search for the specific brand and model on the China Energy Label website to check its备案.
However, the person also noted that the energy efficiency labels themselves currently lack anti-counterfeiting features. Authorities provide the style requirements, and companies produce the labels in batches themselves. If false energy efficiency labeling is suspected, consumers can report it to local market supervision departments, which can commission qualified labs for retesting.
In practice, it is very difficult for individual consumers to seek redress for exaggerated air conditioner energy efficiency. Posing as a consumer, inquiries were made to several testing机构 about testing the energy efficiency of household air conditioners. They indicated that for air conditioners already in use, a test report cannot serve as valid evidence. A new, unused unit of the same brand, model, and batch must be purchased for testing. A representative from one testing agency, after inquiring about the price of an air conditioner,直言不讳地说 that the combined cost of shipping and testing fees would likely exceed the price of the air conditioner itself, suggesting it might be more practical to simply buy a new one.
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