SAN JOSE, Calif. — Global Industry Analysts Inc. (GIA) has announced the release of a report on the global air conditioning systems market. After witnessing a temporary disruption in growth, primarily due to the recession, GIA noted that the global market for air conditioning systems staged a recovery in the year 2010 and is now projected to register 144.3 million units in volume sales by 2017. Growth in the market over the next few years will be primarily led by increasing adoption of energy-efficient models, particularly inverter-based air conditioners, and rapidly growing replacement demand.

Although buffeted by a prolonged period of uncertainty over the global economic and financial crisis, changing demand patterns due to erratic weather conditions, and rising production costs, which caused misery for air conditioner manufacturers and suppliers during 2008 and 2009, said GIA, the global air conditioning systems market bounced back in 2010. The market recovery was primarily led by resurgence in growth fundamentals such as improvement in consumer disposable incomes, greater spending power, and increased construction activity.

Growth in the global air conditioning systems market over the next few years is expected to be led by energy efficient models such as inverter-based air conditioning systems and solar powered air conditioners, stated GIA. Inverter based air conditioning systems, which are capable of offering considerable reductions in power consumption, by adjusting compressors’ running speed and controlling voltage and current frequency, have been gaining in popularity. While almost all of the air conditioning systems currently produced in Japan are inverter-based models, adoption of these products in other regional markets, although currently minimal, have been gradually increasing, thereby adding volume to the market. Increasing efforts to improve consumer awareness about energy conservation and environmental well-being, and emerging energy efficiency standards, are expected to increase adoption.