Heat pump The market for heat pump water heaters (HPWH) in Australia, once a clean energy success, has declined sharply since 2024. This downturn is likely to continue into 2025. After two years of strong growth fueled by generous rebates, the industry now struggles with reduced subsidies, poor-quality imports, and decreasing consumer trust.  From Boom to Bust   Between 2022 and 2023, the HPWH sector grew quickly, thanks to federal Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) a

Wickes United Kingdom: Wickes Group PLC recorded a 6.9% year-on-year increase in total revenue to EUR 420.1 million (US$ 488.9 million) in the third quarter, supported by robust performance across all divisions. The Design and Installation segment led the growth with a 7.8% rise, reflecting continued demand for home improvement and remodeling projects. The company noted that consumer interest in kitchen and bathroom upgrades remains solid, despite broader economic headwinds,

Delabie France: Delabie Group has officially completed the acquisition of KWC Professional, formerly known as Franke Water Systems. This strategic acquisition significantly expands Delabie’s international footprint, boosting its share of global revenue from 40% to 70%. With this move, Delabie strengthens its leadership position in the European market for sanitary fittings and equipment designed for public and commercial buildings, including hospitals, schools, and transport h

Haier Netherlands: Haier HVAC Solutions has entered into a strategic partnership with Technoclima BV to distribute its commercial air-conditioning and heat pump systems across the Dutch market. The collaboration will enable faster product availability, enhanced technical support, and stronger local presence for installers and specifiers. Technoclima is based in Meerkerk, offering integrated after-sales service and technical project assistance. This agreement includes plans to

Jomoo Thailand: TOA Paint (Thailand) Public Company Limited has entered the smart bathroom solutions market through a strategic partnership with JOMOO, a global bathroom fixtures brand. The company has inaugurated its first comprehensive Smart Bathroom Solution, featuring the flagship X-Series intelligent toilet. This collaboration aims to achieve sales of 200 million baht (US$ 6.1 million) within three years, reflecting TOA’s strategic pivot toward serving the health-conscio

Carrier United Kingdom: Carrier Solutions UK has unveiled a fully refurbished London Colney training centre, enhancing its capacity to deliver professional HVAC engineer training to a wider audience. The upgraded facility now offers hands-on education using the latest Carrier, Toshiba and Viessmann branded equipment, including advanced air-to-air and air-to-water heat pumps, VRF systems, residential and commercial boilers, controls, and specialist rigs for F-Gas certification

Bangladesh’s air-conditioning (AC) market expanded rapidly from 2021 onwards, driven by rising incomes, fast urbanisation, and increasingly hotter summers that made cooling a necessity rather than a luxury. Annual sales rose sharply from 2021, nearly doubling by 2024, reflecting the sector’s swift transformation into a large and dynamic industry. The residential segment contributed the largest share of market value, while commercial systems played a smaller but significant ro

LG Indonesia: LG Electronics has launched a new partner-operated production facility in Bekasi, West Java, dedicated to manufacturing air conditioners as part of its Global South expansion strategy. Spanning 32,000 square meters, the facility began operations in October 2025 with the capacity to produce approximately 700,000 indoor and outdoor units in its first year. LG plans to double this capacity further in the near future. The Bekasi plant follows the Korean Quality Cont

DTI Destroys Unregistered Ceramic Sanitaryware Worth PHP 4.6 Million Philippines: The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has destroyed around PHP 4.6 million (approximately USD 79,000 / EUR 74,000) worth of unregistered ceramic sanitaryware at its Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau warehouse in Marikina City. The products were confiscated as part of the agency’s ongoing enforcement operations against substandard goods that violate Republic Act 4109, also known as th

Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia is implementing development projects worth over SAR 200 billion (US$56 billion) in Madinah to expand infrastructure for the rising number of pilgrims, projected to reach 30 million by 2030. According to the Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a total of 224 projects are under way, including 15 government-led, 10 semi-government, and 199 private-sector initiatives. The projects cover more than 30 million

National Construction Code AUSTRALIA: Australia building ministers have agreed to pause major changes to the National Construction Code (NCC) until mid-2029, with only essential quality and safety measures taking effect. The measures include improved water management in commercial and apartment buildings, enhanced carpark fire safety standards, commercial energy efficiency reforms, and condensation mitigation. Planned requirements for home EV chargers and new residential ener

On September 22, 2025, the Government of India implemented a major reform in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure, reducing the GST rate on air conditioners (ACs) from 28% to 18%. This change is part of the broader GST 2.0 initiative, which simplified the tax regime into three slabs—5% for essentials, 18% for standard goods, and 40% for luxury items. The reduction in GST has led to a direct price drop of ₹1,500 to ₹3,500 per unit, depending on the model and brand. This