JAKARTA – Technological developments make the concept of future housing no longer just a place to take shelter, but into a smart, efficient, and healthy living space.
One of these innovations comes from the smart household apparatus industry which continues to strive to create a balance between comfort, energy efficiency, and better air quality for its residents.
One concrete example of the transformation towards smart living can be seen from the visit of a number of Indonesian media to the advanced manufacturing facility TCL Air Conditioner in Wuhan, China, at the end of September 2025.
During the three-day visit (22’24 September), journalists had the opportunity to see firsthand how a healthy and intelligent residential concept was realized through global standard air conditioning technology.
Interestingly, this visit coincided with important news for the world of household technology, namely TCL Fresh Air Conditioner was named the world’s best-selling fresh air AC in 2024, according to a recent Sunpower Consulting Group report, an independent research institute.
“We are very proud that TCL Fresh Air AC won the No. 1 position in the world,” said Evan Tang, CEO of TCL Indonesia, from TCL Indonesia’s official statement.
“This achievement not only reflects the power of our technological innovation, but also our commitment to bring fresh, healthy and smart air to every household in the world,” he continued.
Behind the air conditioning system that looks simple, a series of cutting-edge technologies is stored. The TCL factory in Wuhan, which was inaugurated in March 2025, is one example of actual smart manufacturing implementation.
With investments of more than 3.4 billion yuan and an area of almost 1,000 hectares, this facility combines research, production, digital logistics, to a smart factory-based control system.
The first phase of this factory has a capacity of up to 6 million units per year. Using the digital twin system and the 6+1 Industrial Internet platform, production efficiency increased by 15%. Not only that, there are 16 ‘dark factories’ or dark factors operating automatically for 24 hours without human presence in the main line.
One of the most prominent is the existence of the world’s first special production line for a fresh, dust-free air conditioner, an innovation that describes the future of a more health-oriented and efficient home appliance industry.
Along with increasing public awareness of a healthy lifestyle, the need for clean air and efficient energy use is getting higher.
This was also acknowledged by the General Manager of TCL AC, Xin’an Li, who has led the company’s innovation journey since its inception in the air conditioning industry in 1999.
“In daily use, users usually face three main problems related to AC,” said Mr. Li.
“First, they are worried about air quality and health. Second, they are worried about energy efficiency and power consumption. Third, they are worried that the integration of new technologies and features that meet their previous needs has not been met,” he added.
Responding to this challenge, the company continues to develop products that focus on fresh air circulation. Since launching the Global Fresh Air Strategy in 2021, TCL has presented various innovations such as FreshIN 3.0 which later won the ‘Smart Fresh Air Technology Innovation Award’ award at the CES 2025 event.
The following year, they released FreshIN C7, the fifth generation of Freshin line that presents fresh air more optimally with modern designs and intuitive smart systems.
The idea of smart living cannot be separated from responsibility for the environment. The TCL factory in Wuhan is designed as a real example of green manufacturing.
On the roof of the factory lays an approximately 95 thousand square meters of solar panels capable of producing about 9 million kWh of energy per year. This initiative helps reduce carbon emissions on a large scale and makes the facility a future energy-efficient plant.
In addition, the zero-waste factory concept is fully applied. Through the smart water recycling system and sponge city technology, this factory managed to achieve zero carbon emissions, zero industrial waste, and minimal water use. This effort is part of a long-term strategy towards sustainable production.
Not only modern production lines, this laboratory at the Wuhan facility is also a testing and quality control center. Each product is tested with strict international standards, ranging from thermodynamic simulations, performance tests, noise, to durability.
After mass production, randomly picked-up units will be retested to ensure quality consistency is maintained.
This kind of testing process reflects how the concept of future occupancy not only relies on smart technology, but also demands assurance of quality, comfort, and security for its users.
Indonesia is one of the important focuses in the TCL market development strategy. This was expressed directly by Xin’an Li in a joint media interview session.
“We have a clear layout for the Indonesian market,” he said.
According to Li, some of TCL’s residential AC products are now locally produced in Indonesia. In fact, plans to expand production to the commercial segment are being studied further.
“This is our strategic step in dealing with a complex international trade landscape,” said Xin’an Li.
“By producing locally, we can provide more quality and cost-effective products for the Indonesian people,” he continued.
One of the products that has just been launched for the country’s market is the Gentleman Cool Pro Series, which was present in August 2025.
This product brings features that match the needs of tropical communities, namely WiFi connectivity, energy-efficient AI+inverter technology, soft air flow, and 6-in-1 health filters. All of this shows how household technology is now an integral part of a healthier and more sustainable modern lifestyle.
Through various innovations that continue to develop, the concept of smart housing is now a reality. It is no longer just a futuristic idea, but a tangible manifestation of human efforts to provide a smart, clean, and environmentally friendly living space.
What is done in Wuhan is just one example of how technology, creativity, and environmental awareness can combine to present smart living, a future lifestyle that starts from our own home.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language.
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