Di Yi Cai Jing·2026-02-04 08:50Core Insights - The data center cooling business is a significant growth point for the central air conditioning industry during its consolidation phase, but competition is intensifying, presenting both opportunities and challenges [1] Industry Overview - The central air conditioning industry is currently in an adjustment period due to weakening traditional engineering demand. Companies like Gree Electric Appliances (000651.SZ) and Midea Group (000333.SZ) are reallocating resources towards AI data center cooling and high-computing infrastructure to seek structural growth [3] - The data center temperature control market has high requirements for system design capabilities, project experience, and long-term operation and maintenance, posing challenges for traditional HVAC companies [3] Market Dynamics - Air conditioning still accounts for approximately 70% of Gree's revenue, with central air conditioning being a core segment. However, the industry faces pressure from a downturn in real estate, weak traditional engineering demand, and intensified price competition [4] - The Chinese central air conditioning market is projected to reach a sales scale of 138.68 billion yuan by 2025, with a year-on-year decline of 7.4% in the domestic market, while the export market is expected to grow by 12.7% [4] - Data centers are viewed as one of the few remaining sources of certain demand in the central air conditioning industry, although their contribution to Gree and Midea's central air conditioning revenue remains limited [4] Technological Trends - As AI computing power increases, the power density of server cabinets is rising rapidly, revealing limitations in traditional air-cooled solutions regarding efficiency and heat dissipation. Liquid cooling is becoming an important technology route for high-computing data centers [4] - Liquid cooling is not merely an equipment upgrade but involves comprehensive changes in system architecture, core components, and operational modes, requiring higher system integration and project experience [4] Competitive Landscape - The data center cooling market is primarily dominated by two types of companies: specialized temperature control manufacturers and foreign brands. Specialized firms have accumulated substantial project experience and customer loyalty, while central air conditioning manufacturers like Gree and Midea have advantages in manufacturing and global service networks but face competition in specialized cooling solutions [6] - Domestic central air conditioning companies see opportunities in the data center market due to incremental space and localization trends, but they also face challenges such as technology maturity and complex project delivery capabilities [6] Strategic Outlook - Overall, AI data center cooling presents a rare structural growth opportunity for the central air conditioning industry, but its scale, pace, and profit model differ significantly from traditional engineering markets. In the short term, data center business acts more as a buffer against the decline of traditional business rather than a decisive replacement [7] - The ability of Gree and Midea to establish stable engineering capabilities and long-term customer relationships in high-barrier technologies like liquid cooling will be crucial for their positioning in the computing infrastructure cycle [7]