GREE(SZ:000651) Qian Zhan Wang·2025-12-16 06:30Group 1 - A total of 19 air conditioning companies, including Haier, Midea, Hisense, TCL, and Xiaomi, have signed a self-regulatory agreement to promote the breakthrough of aluminum replacing copper technology, with Gree Electric being the only major company absent from this initiative [2] - The cost of copper accounts for 20% of the total cost of a single air conditioner, while the cost of aluminum is only 1/10 of that of copper, indicating potential for significant price reductions if aluminum can effectively replace copper [2] - Copper has superior thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and long-term reliability compared to aluminum, with copper's thermal conductivity being 1.7 times that of aluminum and copper pipes having an average lifespan of 15-20 years compared to aluminum pipes' lifespan of less than 8 years [2] Group 2 - China's copper demand has been steadily increasing, reaching 11.6983 million tons in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 4.09% [3] - The air conditioning industry consumes approximately 850 million kilograms of copper annually, accounting for about 21% of China's total copper demand [5] - The production of white goods, including refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines, has shown a fluctuating upward trend from 2012 to 2023, with air conditioner production reaching 157.056 million units in the first half of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 13.8% [5] Group 3 - Gree Electric's CEO, Dong Mingzhu, has stated that the company currently has no plans to adopt aluminum replacing copper technology due to concerns over quality and reliability, emphasizing that quality is the primary consideration over cost [6][8] - Gree Electric's Vice President, Hu Yusheng, confirmed during an earnings briefing that the company will not pursue aluminum replacing copper until performance, quality, and reliability can be fully guaranteed [6] - Dong Mingzhu has expressed that the rising copper prices do put pressure on Gree, but the company prioritizes responsibility towards the country, shareholders, and employees over merely focusing on cost [8]