The 1st Daikin World Air Survey Results highlight HVAC trends

As we head into the last days of August a recent survey by industry channel leader Daikin (Goodman, Amana, and Daikin Brands in North America) was just released that I thought had some interesting data to share.

The survey results were released by Daikin in early August, This first Daikin World Air Survey was comprised of results from 1,200 people in 12 cities from around the world. In North America they chose Houston and New York as the representative cities to compare to others all over the globe from San Paulo to Shanghai.

Some key items that caught my eye from the survey

In Houston, approximately 40% of people use air conditioners for 24 hours a day in summer, with an average daily usage of 17.2 hours, the longest among 12 cities. (New York was 3^rd at 12.6 hours behind Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).

Responses to the question – “Important factors to consider when purchasing air conditioner” I found very interesting and informative for North America. Energy Efficiency was rated as the top purchasing factor in the survey for both New York and Houston. The purchase price of the equipment was the second highest rated factor.

New York

1. Energy Efficiency 27%
2. Affordable Price 22%
3. Effective Cooling/Heating Performance 20%

Houston

1. Energy Efficiency 29%
2. Affordable Price 26%
3. Effective Cooling/Heating Performance 16%

Source Daikin Global | Press Releases | ~ Children Proposing the Future of Water and Air from Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan ~

In the commentary Daikin shared that “New York stood out with 45.2% of people who selected “to reduce environmental impact,” reflecting the reputation of New York as one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the U.S.”

I found this interesting and informative for two key channel areas-

1. The why customers buy results – How this will change in the future for North America will be interesting. Will the “to reduce environmental impact” percentages increase if/when this survey is released next year? I would say it is likely to grow, and it likely vary how important this is based on where you are in North America.  I predict that overall the “reduce environmental impact” will continue to rise in importance as a key purchase factor.
2. How does this effect your messaging to end customers and your contractors? Should you be leaning into the efficiency message versus the overall price of the purchase? I know many great distributors and manufacturers are doing just that today. How you convey that total cost of ownership (purchase price + monthly electrical cost/expected lifespan of the equipment) for a true monthly and annual investment today and in the future is key.

The how you message and set yourself apart from the competition is an ever-changing target. Twenty five years ago when I was just starting in this industry as a distributor – load management and electrical costs were less important to the buying decision. KWH costs were lower, there was less concern on load management by utilities, and the environmental impact was not a large a factor. I wish we had these survey results the past 25 years to compare back to 2000, but I think we all instinctively can see the trends that this survey highlights.

I would encourage you to review the full results and think about how you can convey them effectively to your sales and marketing teams effectively to grow your business in 2025.

As always, we appreciate your comments and please feel free to reach out to me at jgunderson@channelmkt.com