Como melhorar a eficiência no setor de ar-condicionado? O papel da Zona Franca de Manaus

The document argues that Brazil's air conditioning sector suffers from low energy efficiency compared to international standards, partly due to industrial policies in the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM) that create distortions. It finds that the Basic Productive Process (PPB) requirements, such as the use of outdated national compressors, hinder the adoption of inverter technology and overall efficiency. Despite significant tax exemptions, the sector's productive and energy efficiency deteriorated between 2003 and 2015, contrasting with the stability of the broader Brazilian manufacturing industry. The authors recommend aligning industrial and energy policies to promote competitiveness and higher efficiency standards.

• Air conditioning units produced in Brazil exhibit low energy efficiency compared to international benchmarks, with average efficiency increasing by only 10.2% between 2010 and 2018, significantly lower than improvements in India (29% from 2011-2017) and Vietnam (30.8% from 2013-2018).
• Implementing more rigorous minimum efficiency indices for air conditioners in Brazil could prevent the emission of 6.3 Mt CO2 of greenhouse gases by 2035, avoiding 14.5 TWh of energy consumption and saving approximately R$ 8 billion.
• The industrial policy of the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM), specifically the Basic Productive Process (PPB), creates distortions that result in low energy and productive efficiency and suppresses competition in production stages.
• The PPB's requirement for national content in compressors forces the industry to use outdated technology, as the only non-industrial compressor manufacturer in Brazil (located in São Carlos, SP) does not produce inverter compressors, which are essential for reducing energy consumption.
• The air conditioning sector is highly concentrated, with 98% of the market held by eight foreign multinationals, all of which have factories in the ZFM to access tax benefits.
• In 2015, estimated tax expenditures for the industrial ZFM totaled approximately R$ 4.3 billion, with 7% (R$ 285 million) specifically directed to the air conditioning sector.
• Between 2003 and 2015, the air conditioning sector experienced a deterioration in efficiency, with a 2% drop in the energy efficiency indicator and a 5% drop in the productive efficiency indicator, diverging from the general Brazilian manufacturing industry which remained stable.
• The surge in air conditioner sales—which more than tripled between 2005 and 2017—led to a 237% increase in residential electricity consumption for these devices because energy efficiency did not evolve enough to offset the increased number of units.

APA

Schutze, A., Holz, R., & Assunção, J. (2020). Como melhorar a eficiência no setor de ar-condicionado? O papel da Zona Franca de Manaus. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Policy-Brief-Como-melhorar-a-eficiência-no-setor-de-ar-condicionado.pdf

Chicago

Schutze, Amanda, Rhayana Holz, and Juliano Assunção. Como melhorar a eficiência no setor de ar-condicionado? O papel da Zona Franca de Manaus. Climate Policy Initiative, 2020. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Policy-Brief-Como-melhorar-a-eficiência-no-setor-de-ar-condicionado.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Schutze |first1=Amanda |last2=Holz |first2=Rhayana |last3=Assunção |first3=Juliano |title=Como melhorar a eficiência no setor de ar-condicionado? O papel da Zona Franca de Manaus |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=August 2020 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Policy-Brief-Como-melhorar-a-eficiência-no-setor-de-ar-condicionado.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{schutze2020como, author = {Schutze, Amanda and Holz, Rhayana and Assunção, Juliano}, title = {{Como melhorar a eficiência no setor de ar-condicionado? O papel da Zona Franca de Manaus}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Policy-Brief-Como-melhorar-a-eficiência-no-setor-de-ar-condicionado.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }