Spain. The Association of Manufacturers of Air Conditioning Equipment (AFEC) recently presented a report that reveals the behavior of the air conditioning and thermal solutions market in Spain during 2022.
The report found that this market generated 21% growth in value over the previous year. In the case of air conditioning equipment, heat pumps and domestic hot water production, the growth in turnover was 24% compared to 2021. In the residential/domestic sector, the figures for 2022 were 978,958 units sold, worth 739.12 million euros.
AFEC assures that the evolution of sales of aerothermal heat pumps (air-water, including those of domestic hot water production) continues to be very positive. In 2022, air-water equipment has gone from representing 16% in value in 2021, to having a weight on the total invoiced of 20% with respect to the total market of air conditioning equipment, heat pumps and DHW production, which confirms the rise of this technology as a combined heating system, Cooling and production of domestic hot water.
The heat pump
The heat pump reinforced in 2022 its role as a fundamental solution for the reduction of energy dependence on fossil fuels in heating, cooling, DHW and industrial process thermal installations, by allowing the reduction of non-renewable primary energy consumption and CO2 emissions in these applications. HVAC equipment manufacturers overcame the challenges of last year and today offer all the technical solutions necessary to meet the urgent decarbonization objectives in thermal installations.
Also the research in heat pump shows good health, as derived from the enormous research and development activity in heat pump manufacturing in Europe in these years. Between 2017 and 2019 alone, 48% of new heat pump patents for heating were developed in Europe, followed by Japan (12%), the US (8%), Korea (5%) or China (5%), and where the "Horizon 2020" program has made 277 million euros in funds available to manufacturers.
During the presentation of this report that took place at the headquarters of UNE (Spanish Association for Standardization), Javier García, general director of UNE, welcomed the attendees and exposed the value of standards in the industry; with Federico Muñoz, deputy general director of CEIS (Center for Testing, Innovation and Services), who highlighted the importance of certification and conformity assessment of equipment in the air conditioning sector, especially given the technological transformation and the rise of some solutions, such as the heat pump; and with María Valcarce, director of the International Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Exhibition, to make a brief introduction to the call for the next edition of the C&R fair in November of this year.
Giving voice to AFEC were President Francisco Perucho; two of the presidents of the market committees: the former president of AFEC Luis Mena, and Miguel Lautour; and the general director Marta San Román. Among all they reviewed the AFEC market market report, which collects the aggregated data of heat, cold and domestic hot water production equipment; air distribution and diffusion; ventilation; residential ventilation; and air handling units.
After reviewing the main keys of 2022, which include the economic environment, uncertainty, concern for environmental health and indoor air quality, the advance of aerothermal and geothermal energy, the return to face-to-face of the major international fairs, etc., the main legislative texts that influenced the industry last year were highlighted, and those that will have greater relevance in 2023, both nationally and internationally.
Next, the methodology of the statistical market analysis of AFEC's air conditioning was explained: with a trajectory of more than 15 years, they have achieved a recognized prestige, thanks to their independent nature and objectivity, as well as the reliability of the data, and has evolved, both in the number of participants, which has been increasing, thus achieving a great representativeness of the sector, as in ranges of solutions, to adapt to the state-of-the-art of technology and the needs of the market.
This was followed by a sectoral contextualisation through trends and the market environment for 2023, from the decarbonisation of the electricity sector to investments in productive infrastructure, including the necessary balance between digitalisation and the ecological transition; the essential role of smart air conditioning for the development of society and buildings, and the sustainability and efficiency of cities; energy transformation; new business and professional profiles; the demands in terms of environmental health and indoor air quality, with ventilation, filtration, cleaning, purification, among others, in the spotlight; the focus on complete solutions and hybridization of technologies; the promotion of connectivity and the consequent measurement, regulation, control and monitoring; etc.
The session closed with a message of safety and hope for the environmental future. The manufacturers of air conditioning equipment that AFEC has represented for more than 45 years, are aligned with European objectives; are aware of facing new urgent challenges, such as the guarantee of BESA (Well-being, Efficiency and Environmental Health) or the lack of qualified personnel; And they are prepared and offer, today, all the necessary technical solutions to meet the urgent objectives of decarbonization in thermal installations.
Download the report by clicking here.
