Daikin’s Semiconductor Evolution
Daikin Industries, a prominent Japanese air conditioner manufacturer, is embracing bespoke semiconductor technology to amplify energy efficiency in its products, aligning with the prevailing industry trend where companies seek tailor-made chip designs for enhanced performance.
Headquartered in Osaka, Daikin, poised to manufacture 10 million home air conditioners in the current fiscal year, has forged a strategic alliance with a Japanese design firm. The objective is to tailor logic chips specifically for the inverters employed in Daikin’s air conditioning units.
Inverter Technology: A Global Standard
)
Inverters play a pivotal role in adjusting motor speed to optimize energy consumption, a standard feature in Japan and the European Union but less prevalent in the United States.
Despite the relatively higher cost associated with custom chips compared to off-the-shelf alternatives, Daikin contends that the bespoke solution not only offers superior energy efficiency but also facilitates a reduction in the utilization of other components.
Yuji Yoneda, General Manager of Daikin’s Technology and Innovation Centre, underscores the imperative to enhance chip performance to fully unleash the potential of an air conditioner’s compressor and motor.
Daikin is strategically planning to integrate these custom chips into its high-end air conditioners commencing in 2025, with a targeted incorporation into approximately 20% of its units by the decade’s end.
Renowned for developing Japan’s inaugural packaged air conditioner in 1951, the company is concurrently engaged in crafting customized power modules to optimize the management of the air conditioner’s electricity supply.
To facilitate this technological transition, Daikin is actively recruiting engineers from the chip industry, navigating a competitive landscape driven by substantial investments in the domestic semiconductor sector.
The company envisions that an elevated emphasis on energy efficiency will propel its trajectory forward, particularly in light of the anticipated global surge in air conditioner units to 5.6 billion by 2050, according to insights from the International Energy Agency.
Read More (Innovation)
