On September 24, the 13th Asian Heat Pump and Thermal Storage Technology Alliance Annual Conference (AHPNW 2025) was successfully held in Chengdu. Hosted by the Asian Heat Pump and Thermal Storage Technology Alliance, organized by China Academy of Building Research Co., Ltd., and co-organized by MENRED Group Co., Ltd., the conference consisted of three sessions: working meeting, technical forum and project visit. Experts and scholars from China, Japan, India, Thailand and other countries conducted in-depth discussions on the latest R&D progress, market trends and future development directions of heat pump and thermal storage technologies.

In the working meeting held in the morning, representatives from member states of the Asian Heat Pump and Thermal Storage Technology Alliance (AHPNW), including China, Japan, India and Thailand, attended the meeting. During the conference, the application for the Philippines to join the Alliance was reviewed and unanimously approved. Representatives from various countries shared the current status of heat pump applications and relevant standards and specifications in their respective countries, and held in-depth discussions on the follow-up work plan and future development direction of AHPNW. Finally, it was confirmed that the 14th Asian Heat Pump and Thermal Storage Technology Alliance Annual Conference will be held in the Republic of Korea in 2026, and the 15th session is scheduled to be held in India in 2027.

In the afternoon, experts in the fields of heat pumps and thermal storage from China, Japan, India, Thailand and other countries attended the technical forum, exchanging views on heat pump technologies and thermal storage systems in terms of energy efficiency improvement, regional adaptation and multi-scenario applications.

The conference was moderated by Wu Jianlin, Director of the High-Performance Building Research Center of China Academy of Building Research and Director of the International Department of the China Association of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Industry Technology Innovation Alliance (CAHVAC).

Xu Wei, Chief Expert of China Academy of Building Research and Chairman of CAHVAC, delivered the opening speech. He first extended a warm welcome to all participants, pointing out that Asia is the region with the widest application and the most dynamic market for heat pump technologies in the world, and that heat pump technology is the key to promoting green and low-carbon development and achieving carbon neutrality goals. China Academy of Building Research has long been committed to the innovation and promotion of heat pump technologies, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with institutions from various countries to jointly improve the reliability, energy efficiency and application scale of heat pump systems.

Masaya Shigenaga, Director of the International Department of Japan Heat Pump & Thermal Storage Technology Center, introduced the Asian Heat Pump and Thermal Storage Technology Alliance to the participants.

Li Ji, Deputy Director of the Heat Pump and Thermal Storage Research Center of China Academy of Building Research; Rajagopal Saravanan, Professor of Anna University, India and President-elect of the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers; Piyatida Trinuruk, Professor of King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand; Masaya Shigenaga, Director of the International Department of Japan Heat Pump & Thermal Storage Technology Center; Dr. Chen Shuyi from Hunan University; and Professor Wei Qingpeng from Tsinghua University delivered keynote reports respectively, themed on R&D of New Heat Pump Systems Adapting to Extreme Climate Characteristics and Regional Resource Endowment in Northern China, Sustainable Heating Technologies for Commercial and Industrial Sectors, Intelligent Energy Efficiency Management of Heat Pump Water Heating Systems, Development Trends and Prospects of Heat Pumps in Japan, Performance Improvement of Waste Heat Recovery in Data Centers Based on Heat Pumps, and "Zero-Carbon Heating" Technologies and Cases Combining Multi-Dimensional Energy Storage of "Underground-Ground-Building" with High-Efficiency Heat Pumps.

At the end of the conference, Masaya Shigenaga, representative of Japan Heat Pump & Thermal Storage Technology Center, delivered the closing speech.

On the morning of September 25, representatives of member states of the Asian Heat Pump and Thermal Storage Alliance visited the heat pump room of Langshi Leju Community in Chenghua District, Chengdu. The representatives had active exchanges and discussions on relevant technologies of ground-source heat pump systems.

The Asian Heat Pump and Thermal Storage Technology Alliance (AHPNW) is an exchange platform for heat pump and thermal storage technologies composed of China, Japan, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries, with the annual conference hosted by member states in turn. Through the sharing of cutting-edge research results and practical experience by experts from multiple countries, this conference effectively promoted exchanges and cooperation in the field of heat pump and thermal storage technologies in Asia.