China Daily USA: Gree Commercial sees bright future in US
By NANCY KONG in New York
NEW YORK, June 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- China's biggest air-conditioner manufacturer, Gree Electric Appliances Inc, is gaining popularity in the US market with its commercial products as the US heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) industry is calling for products that use clean energy and are energy efficient.
"They're filling a number of needs within the marketplace" that remained unmet until now, said Don Heimstaedt, principal at Tower Enterprises of NY and NJ, LLC, who has been in the air-conditioning industry for more than 40 years.
Tower serves as one of the exclusive manufacturer representatives of Y & N-Gree Commercial USA — the master distributor for Gree commercial VRF.
Gree's solar-powered, high-efficiency products are especially welcome in the New York region, as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled his Green New Deal initiative to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040.
Gree Electric Applicance's solar products are recognized globally. In February 2017, Gree's photovoltaic HVAC system received the world's first Underwriter Laboratories (UL) certificate for its innovative, direct-drive hybrid power supply model.
Gree won two other UL certificates in 2018, one of which was also in the solar category.
Another signature product series Gree brought to the US market, its patented packaged terminal air conditioner variable refrigerant flow (PTAC VRF) series, not only is free from fossil fuels, but is also very quiet and energy efficient.
While traditional PTAC models, widely used across the US by hotels, apartment buildings, and hospitals, often require fossil fuels, Gree has creatively integrated into the models of the VRF system — a widely recognized energy-saving and cost-saving technology.
Gree's products are easy replacements as they fit into the same 16-by-42-inch sleeves — basically the industrial standards for most PTAC models.
Gree is also bringing products that excel in heating performance under extremely low ambient conditions, such as its patented auto-heat three-cylinder, two-stage compressor ultra-heat HVAC.
The models are certified by UL to deliver 100 percent heating capacity at minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit outdoors, an 80 percent heating capacity at minus-22 degrees Fahrenheit outdoors, and stable operations at minus-31 degrees Fahrenheit outdoors.
"This is something that exceeds the industry standards," Heimstaedt said.
Gree's products "got a lot of praise and recognition from owners, architects, and engineers for the technology," he added.
Six years into the US market, Y & N-Gree Commercial USA has made great efforts to identify local needs. And Gree's Chinese headquarters have strong research and development capabilities to find solutions to those needs.
The company has 14 research institutes and nearly 1,000 laboratories in China. And among Gree's 90,000 global employees, nearly 15 percent, or 13,000, are technical engineers.
"We have the ETL, UL and AHRI certifications for all our US products," said Dr. Wenqing Bouche-Pillon, vice-president of marketing at Y & N-Gree Commercial USA.
While Gree is a global brand — ranked among the top 300 on the Forbes 2018 Global 2000 list of the world's biggest companies with nearly $24 billion in sales, as a foreign brand it has partnered with experienced local distributors to approach US consumers.
The company has set up a sales system in 22 states and aims to expand this year.
"We believe the best is yet to come, because we fit in the market demand here in the United States," which is lessening the use of fossil fuel, shifting to renewable energy, pursuing energy conservation and elevating comfort levels, said Bouche-Pillon.
"We commit to providing the best quality and comfort to the US community, to be a part of this culture and people," she said.
SOURCE China Daily USA
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