Are Japanese-Style Air Conditioners Growing in Popularity in the US?

ContractingBusiness.com, The Wall Street Journal, and others have reported that Daikin Industries, Ltd. is building a $410 million factory in the Houston area. This is a sure bet that the company believes its energy-efficient, Japanese style air conditioners can take some traction from American-designed air conditioners.

This facility will open in 2016 in Hockley, Texas, and will expand Goodman Global, the U.S. subsidiary of Daikin. The company believes many of the systems used in the U.S. today are old-fashioned and need updates to help save energy.

U.S. air-conditioning systems—both commercial and residential—tend to chill air or water in a central unit installed outdoors. The air or water is then moved around to cool individual rooms or areas. Air conditioners from Daikin and other Asian makers deliver chilled chemical refrigerant from a central condenser, also generally installed outdoors, to individual units in separate parts of buildings, where the air is then cooled.

For those in contracting businesses who work with air conditioners, do you think these units will see traction stateside? Is there a need for units that are more energy efficient? Let us know in the comment section.

SEE THIS ARTICLE ON DAIKIN IN HOUSTON by ContractingBusiness.com.