Air-conditioner makers are moving towards more efficient cooling systems in line with energy efficiency and environmental footprint regulations in the region.
Singapore is leading the way in terms of environmentally friendly building regulations in Southeast Asia.
"Right now about 30% of buildings in Singapore are green-certified," said Titus Yu, managing director for Southeast Asia at United Technologies, the parent company of air-conditioner maker Carrier. "According to the state's target, close to 80% of buildings in the state will be green-marked by 2030."
In Singapore, he said, all new buildings or building renovations have to follow stringent efficiency standards.
The green building trend has yet to catch on in Thailand, said Ardi Rammanee, managing director of Carrier Thailand.
"We do, however, have efficiency regulations set by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, which become more stringent every 2-3 years," Mr Ardi said.
Even if the Thai air-conditioner sector is not as highly regulated as others in the region, most makers have already moved to products with a Level 5 energy rating.
"You can make Level 3 or 4 products, but you can't sell them, especially in the home market," Mr Ardi said.
The home market is ahead of the commercial sector, where some developers are still focused on the initial cost instead of total cost of ownership.
"Some of these products will last for 20 years, and air conditioners can consume up to 40% of a building's energy, so in the long run it makes economic sense to buy costlier but more efficient systems," Mr Ardi said. "One of the greatest challenges is educating consumers about the cost-saving potential of the product."
The market for air-conditioner systems has also benefited from the rapid urbanisation of the region.
More than 40% of Southeast Asia's 650 million people live in urban areas, a trend that is set to continue with an additional 90 million migrants moving to cities by 2030.
Yesterday, Carrier announced the release of the Toshiba Super Modular Multi System 7 (SMMSW-7), an air-conditioning product that Mr Yu said was specifically designed for tropical urban landscapes.
"We redesigned the heat exchanger to achieve a better cooling efficiency," he said. "Another important feature is the enhanced part load performance. The system has the best-in-class efficiency of 4.82 at full load and 7.27 at half load."
In Thailand, the pressure of regulators and consumers may shake up a market that, according to Mr Ardi, is already one of the most competitive in the region.
The move towards more efficient but costlier systems may benefit makers of upmarket products like Carrier.
"All of the major brands are here," Mr Ardi said. "We have full-on competition and the market is growing."