Press Releases

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What This Survey Finds

• 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.
• “Energy efficiency” is the top priority for purchasing air conditioners in 11 out of 12 cities.
• New York stands out as the most environmentally conscious city.
• Tokyo, Japan has the highest average set temperature for air conditioners at 79.2℉/26.2ºC, while Lagos, Nigeria, has the lowest at 71.4℉/21.9ºC.
• Air pollution concerns predominate in Lagos, Nigeria, with “air pollution from exhaust gas, wildfires, etc.” ranking high.

Osaka, Japan, August 8, 2024 - Daikin Industries, Ltd., a leading global HVAC&R (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) manufacturer, has conducted the inaugural "Daikin World Air Survey." This survey primarily highlights how people in 12 cities worldwide perceive and use air conditioners in their daily lives, exploring the differences and commonalities among cities.

Air conditioners, invented in the U.S. about 100 years ago, play an important role as a kind of social infrastructure that is essential for a comfortable and healthy life. In July 2024, the global average temperature reached the highest on record^*1, making air conditioners even more indispensable. Based on this background, Daikin aims to raise awareness of air conditioners and air among a global audience.

Daikin provides the ideal air in 175 countries and regions. Striving to realize “Perfecting the Air” in the world, it continues to sincerely grapple with the diverse environments and needs of different countries and regions while contributing to the sustainable spread of air conditioners.

*1

The Copernicus Climate Change Service　https://climate.copernicus.eu/new-record-daily-global-average-temperature-reached-july-2024

In Houston, Approximately 40% of People Use Air Conditioners for 24 Hours a Day in Summer, with the Longest Average Daily Use of 17.2 Hours

How many hours a day do people in each city use air conditioners during the hot season? Based on the survey, Daikin calculated the “average number of hours of air conditioner use when spending all day at home during the hottest month of the year^*2.”

People in Houston were found to use air conditioners the longest with 17.2 hours, and a surprising 41% of Houston residents used them for 24 hours. The cities with the second and third longest hours of use were Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with 14.9 hours, and New York with 12.6 hours. It seems to have become commonplace for people in the U.S. where central air conditioning systems are widely adopted, to “leave their air conditioners on all the time” rather than turning them on and off frequently.

*2

The average number of hours of air conditioner use was calculated based on the responses to the question “How many hours per day do you use an air conditioner (cooling) when spending all day at home in the hottest month of the year?” Responses of “1 to 2 hours” were calculated as 1.5 hours, “3 to 4 hours” as 3.5 hours, “5 to 6 hours” as 5.5 hours, “7 to 10 hours” as 8.5 hours, “11 to 15 hours” as 13 hours, “16 hours to less than 24 hours” as 19.5 hours, and “24 hours” as 24 hours.

Tokyo, Japan Has the Highest Average Set Temperature for Air Conditioners at 79.2℉/26.2°C, while Lagos, Nigeria, Has the Lowest at 71.4℉/21.9°C

Tokyo, Japan was found to be the city with the highest average set temperature for air conditioners*3 at home during the hottest month of the year at 79.2℉/26.2ºC, while Lagos, Nigeria had the lowest at 71.4℉/21.9ºC, with a difference of 7.8℉/4.3ºC.

The second and third lowest average set temperatures after Lagos were 72.0℉/22.2ºC in Sao Paulo, Brazil and 72.3℉/22.4ºC in New York. It is said that people’s perception of temperature depends on their country of origin and personal constitution, and in Lagos, Sao Paulo, and New York, many people seem to find lower temperatures more comfortable.

On the other hand, the average set temperatures in the Asian cities of Tokyo, Bangkok, Thailand, and Shanghai, China turned out to be higher than in other cities (Tokyo: 79.2℉/26.2°C, Bangkok: 77.2℉/25.1°C, Shanghai: 77.0℉/25.0°C). Many people in Asian countries seem to be sensitive to cold or pay attention not to let the temperature get too low to save energy.

It was also revealed that 92% of people in Tokyo were concerned about their electricity bills when using air conditioners, the highest among the 12 cities. Furthermore, Tokyo had the highest percentage of people who “set the temperature higher (for cooling) or lower (for heating)” as a “measure to save electricity when using air conditioners at home” at 71%. The average set temperature in Tokyo may be related to the high level of consciousness about electricity bills.

One of the other marked differences in the use of air conditioners was the airflow setting.

Bangkok, Thailand had the highest percentage of people who like being directly exposed to and feeling the airflow of air conditioners (cooling) among the 12 cities at 98%. Also, Shanghai, China; Houston; New Delhi, India; Lagos, Nigeria; New York; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Istanbul, Turkey had over 80%.

While people in most cities prefer to cool themselves under the airflow of air conditioners, the results of Tokyo, Japan and Madrid, Spain were divided between those who liked it and those who did not. While people can feel the coolness of being in the airflow on a hot day, preferences seem to be divided because the airflow can feel too cold or cause skin dryness if it is too strong.

*3

The average set temperatures were calculated based on the responses to the question “Which is the most frequently used temperature setting for air conditioners at home during the hottest month of the year?” Fahrenheit values are converted from the average in Celsius. Responses of ‘18°C or lower’ were calculated as 18°C, while ‘30°C or higher’ were calculated as 30°C. Responses stating ‘automatic’ settings were excluded from the calculations.

“Energy Efficiency” is the Top Priority for Purchasing Air Conditioners in 11 Cities New York Stands Out as the Most Environmentally Conscious City

In 11 out of 12 cities, “energy efficiency” was selected as the most important factor when purchasing air conditioners*4,” especially marked in Bangkok, Thailand and Istanbul, Turkey. Only in Shanghai, China, the highest importance was given to “effective cooling/heating performance” and this was followed by “energy efficiency.”

In addition, New York, Houston, Paris, France; and Madrid, Spain had the percentage of people who chose “affordable price” nearly as high as that of “energy efficiency” (with a difference of less than 10%), indicating that people place importance on both the electricity costs and the initial cost of air conditioners. Meanwhile, people in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Bangkok; New Delhi, India; and Shanghai, China seem to place lower importance on the price of purchase than other cities.

As the reason why people placed the highest priority on “energy efficiency” when purchasing air conditioners, "to reduce electricity bill" ranked higher than “to reduce environmental impact (e.g., global warming)" across all cities.

Even so, 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. In addition to Paris and Madrid in Europe, known as an environmentally advanced region, Istanbul, New Delhi, and Sao Paulo also had relatively high results among 12 cities, with more than 30% choosing “to reduce environmental impact.” However, many people in all cities seem to be more concerned about their electricity bills, which are closely related to their daily lives, at present.

*4

Respondents were asked to list the top three most important factors when purchasing an air conditioner, and the results were ranked by weighted average while giving weight values to the most important (3 points), the second most important (2 points), and the third most important (1 point).