GUANGDONG, China — AHRI president Stephen Yurek and members of the AHRI management team visited Midea Air Conditioning headquarters in Guangdong, China, on June 12.
The delegation shared AHRI’s global organizational structure and mission and discussed future collaboration with Midea to advance regional energy-efficiency standards and streamline regulatory pathways for market access, a Midea press release said. AHRI also recognized Midea for achieving 100% compliance in three consecutive years of certification testing in several areas.
Midea attendees included Louis Zhao, president of the Residential Air Conditioning division; Vincent Chou, vice president of the Residential Air Conditioning division; and Dennis Lee, vice president of Midea Building Technologies International Business.
The meeting with AHRI leadership represents a pivotal step toward co-developing global standards and advancing international collaboration in high-performance HVAC solutions, Midea’s press release said. With over 330 member companies in North America alone, AHRI standards cover 95% of HVACR products in the region. With its global service framework expansion, it establishes localized efficiency standards and market access rules, ensuring high-efficiency products enter markets smoothly, the press release said.
The discussions focused on leveraging AHRI’s expanding footprint to accelerate regulatory harmonization. This alignment ensures Midea’s advanced systems qualify for key incentive programs like federal and regional heat-pump rebates tied to efficiency standards.
“Midea commits to pioneering heat pump innovation for unprecedented efficiency and environmental adaptability, while tailoring localized solutions to meet global efficiency regulations,” said Zhao. “We’re honored to support AHRI’s worldwide strategy by combining our technical expertise with market experiences.”