PIM's challenge to cool a hotter world with less energy

The weight of air conditioning The International Energy Agency (IEA) calculates that global electricity consumption for air conditioning has grown by 50% since 2015, reaching approximately 2,900 terawatt-hours, a volume greater than the entire electrical demand of the European Union. Although it represents around 10% of global electricity consumption throughout the year, air conditioning accounts for approximately 30% of demand at peak times. In 2025, equipment used to cool environments contributed 1,400 gigawatts of maximum demand, equivalent to the total installed generation capacity in the United States. Expansion also appears in the market. In 2024, manufacturers shipped approximately 200 million air conditioners to global markets. In Latin America and Africa, this volume grew 40% or more compared to the previous year. In Brazil, the Energy Research Company (EPE) estimates that, depending on the presence of devices in homes and efficiency gains, air conditioning could account for between 13.7% and 17.9% of residential electricity consumption in 2036. The discussion, therefore, is not restricted to industry or the consumer's electricity bill. It involves energy planning, investments in generation and distribution and the capacity to meet consumption peaks caused by heat waves. The scale of the PIM Data from the Superintendency of the Manaus Free Trade Zone (Suframa) demonstrate the scale of this activity. In 2025, PIM produced approximately 6.35 million split-type devices, which generated revenue of R$12.64 billion. Around 374,000 window or wall pieces of equipment were also manufactured. Between the two categories, production reached approximately 6.72 million units, according to data still classified as partial by Suframa. In the country as a whole, the Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) sector had revenues of R$50.15 billion in 2025, around 10% more than in the previous year, according to the Brazilian Association of Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning, Ventilation and Heating (Abrava). For 2026, the entity projects revenue of R$55.62 billion. The structural trend is for growth, but production is subject to fluctuations. Retail inventories, credit, interest, income, exchange rate, component costs and manufacturers' decisions also affect the rhythm of the lines. Rising temperatures favor demand, but do not alone determine industrial performance. Producing more will not be enough The PIM's position in this chain should not be measured only by the number of devices produced. In a scenario of increasing pressure on energy systems, the efficiency of each piece of equipment becomes economically and environmentally important. Manufacturers already offer models with inverter technology, sensors, connectivity and intelligent control systems. The inverter compressor adjusts its speed to the needs of the environment, avoiding successive on and off cycles. Digital resources can interpret usage conditions, control temperature, identify waste and monitor consumption. This does not mean that all devices have the same performance. The Brazilian Labeling Program, coordinated by the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro), uses the Seasonal Cooling Performance Index (IDRS) to evaluate the efficiency of equipment in different operating conditions. Two inverter models, therefore, may have different consumption. Brazil also establishes minimum levels of energy efficiency and began, in 2026, the first stage of the Brazilian Program to Reduce the Consumption of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), gases used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems that have a high potential for global warming. In compliance with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the country's goals are to reduce the consumption of these substances by 10% by 2029 and by 80% by 2045. Actual performance, however, does not depend solely on the factory. Installation, maintenance, size of the environment, solar incidence, thermal insulation, sealing and usage habits directly affect consumption. The answer also involves other sources and more efficient energy management. Solar generation, storage and thermal systems using waste heat or natural gas can meet part of the demand for large facilities. Shading, ventilation, afforestation and thermal insulation also reduce the amount of energy needed to air-condition environments. A global race for efficiency The search for devices that cool more with less energy is already moving the main manufacturing centers. China, the largest industrial base and the world's largest air conditioner market, produces around 170 million units