The UK ventilation and air conditioning market is enormous, with manufacturers estimated at over £1.2 billion. The main product categories are air conditioning, ventilation and accessories, of which air conditioning products are essential accounting for more than half of the overall market.

Since 2013, the ventilation market in the UK has maintained steady growth, with annual growth reaching a peak of 5% in 2014, reflecting the recovery in construction activity in the United Kingdom and an increase in the level of businesses and consumers. However, since 2014, growth has steadily declined.

An increasingly mature market characterizes the UK ventilation and air conditioning market. Positive impacts on the ventilation and air conditioning market include improved safety, health and energy efficiency laws, environmental laws, revised building regulations and increased public awareness of the importance of quality indoor air and energy consumption. These factors have encouraged innovation and product development.

For existing buildings, there are many possibilities for the replacement and renovation of air conditioning systems due to insufficient or ineffective ventilation. In addition, government initiatives have boosted the ventilation and air conditioning market. These include a capital recovery program that provides up to 100% tax reduction for many energy-efficient factories and machines, including those in the ventilation and air conditioning sector during their first year of operation.

Trends and developments in individual products continue to emerge and affect the market. For example, VRF or VRV air conditioning systems are growing steadily, outlining the fact that they provide more efficient service and reduce operating costs.

In addition, the demand for intelligent controls capable of remotely managing ventilation and air conditioning systems is increasing. Emphasis is also placed on integrating ventilation and air conditioning control into the building management system (BMS) of a commercial building. The increase in market penetration can come, for example, from technological developments such as filter sensors, EC motors, variable speed drives, multiple scroll compressors and heat recovery systems.

In terms of distribution, most household ventilation products are distributed by merchants, DIY multiples and appliance wholesalers. Other channels include the Internet, hardware stores, specialty heating and ventilation stores, department stores, catalogues and grocery stores. Non-residential ventilation products are generally distributed directly to contractors or end users but are sold by commercial agents.

Although the market situation in 2017 is lower than in the previous year, the current forecast for the UK air conditioning and ventilation market is still somewhat optimistic and has been increasing steadily since 2019. Future performance in the UK air conditioning market and ventilation will be based on the general trend of residential and non-residential buildings, RMI activity, fuel prices, energy efficiency legislation, renewable technologies, personal disposable income levels and climate factors.

The air conditioning market has shown potential for growth over the years. With new regulations and enhancements of technology, the increase in use of air conditioning products is inevitable due to the obvious advantages of improved technology.