Comparison and Development Trends of Energy Efficiency Characterization Methods for Room Air Conditioners in China and ASEAN Countries

This article introduces the current status of energy efficiency standards and the labeling of air conditioners in China and ASEAN countries. It compares the energy efficiency of the air conditioners in China and ASEAN countries in terms of the applicable products, testing methods, energy efficiency characterization indicators, and energy efficiency labeling. Additionally, it analyzes the development trend of energy efficiency standards for air conditioners. The results indicate that the energy efficiency standards for Chinese air conditioners are highly consistent with those of most ASEAN countries in terms of their energy efficiency evaluation systems, testing points, and rating conditions. The main difference is that ASEAN countries assess only the refrigeration energy efficiency and the refrigeration season. The differences in outdoor temperature-time curves are reasonable. However, these result in incomparable energy efficiency values. The energy efficiency labels of various countries are based on the energy efficiency standards. Although the forms vary, there are no substantial differences. The development of energy efficiency standards includes various aspects such as the improvement of the energy efficiency evaluation system, enhancement of energy efficiency indicators, improvement of testing methods, expansion of product coverage, adaptability of product functions, and technological upgrades. Among these, dynamic testing is an important development direction. However, the technical difficulty is high, and a certain degree of uncertainty exists. The research results can provide a reference for further improvement of the energy efficiency standards of room air conditioners in China and ASEAN countries and promote regional coordination.