TCL Philippines is making a strategic move from its residential air conditioning lineup into the commercial HVAC sector, positioning itself as a serious contender against established players through a combination of advanced technology, competitive pricing, and end-to-end project support.

Bert Cheung, Deputy Director of Air Solution and B2B Business at TCL Philippines, outlined the company’s roadmap to capture the commercial market while maintaining its momentum in residential innovation.

TCL’s recent participation in Philconstruct, a major construction expo, marked a turning point. According to Cheung, the company is moving away from a purely distribution-focused business model toward a holistic approach typical of major HVAC players.

“We are now shifting our business model into an HVAC company to be able to work with projects of a larger scale,” Cheung said. This involves expanding their network to mechanical contractors and building a team of professionals capable of rivaling current market leaders. "We will continuously build a team of professionals to grow the commercial side of our business, for us to be able to be at par with the current market leaders in this segment."

To support this ecosystem, TCL has partnered with government arms like TESDA to train technicians, ensuring a pipeline of skilled labor to support their sophisticated new hardware.

"Our company culture being collaborative between different departments, we work hand in hand with our Marketing Department in the creation and execution of programs, which we also extend to our B2B Partners for the benefit of both our companies for mutual growth," Cheung said. "Such as the recent Philconstruct exhibit where we manned the booth together, to cover more inquiries and opportunities from the event. Such activity is only a part of our programs and support to our partners. And as our previous business model was focused on distribution, we now expand our network to Mechanical Contractors who specialize in commercial projects, for us to shift our model into an HVAC Company and establish our presence in the commercial market. Lastly, establishing a partnership with Government arms such as TESDA, we contribute to the society through highly knowledgeable and skilled technicians who are also main contributors in our industry."

Central to this commercial expansion is the TMV6 VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) System. VRF systems are the standard for high-rise buildings and commercial complexes, allowing for precise temperature control across multiple zones.

Cheung highlights two critical specs that he claims set the TMV6 apart:

144 HP Maximum Capacity: Described by Cheung as "the highest in the market by far," this capacity allows developers to serve larger spaces with fewer units, significantly lowering capital expenses.

1,100-Meter Piping Length: This offers immense flexibility for architects and engineers, allowing outdoor units to be placed far from indoor vents without losing efficiency.

“A system of this capacity provides lower capital expense for our developers as it can serve more spaces with just a few units, while the high IPLV (Integrated Part Load Value) of 10 reduces their operational expenses,” Cheung said, emphasizing the balance between upfront costs and long-term savings.

While the commercial push is significant, TCL continues to refine its consumer lineup, specifically targeting the unique pain points of the Filipino market: high electricity costs and connectivity issues.

The company’s flagship FreshIN 3.0, which recently won the "AI Energy-saving Technology Gold Award" at IFA 2025, leads the charge. However, the most intriguing feature for the local market might be found in the VoxIN series: Offline Voice Command.

Unlike competitors that require Wi-Fi and smart assistants like Alexa or Google Home, TCL’s system works directly on the unit.

“In an instance where the remote control has low battery or misplaced, be able to control the unit even without a mobile phone and internet,” Cheung said. “This feature allows the user to control their air conditioner via voice command, not needing any smart home assistants such as Google Home and Alexa, nor an internet connection. The feature is also designed for the PH market, local accents are accepted and well understood by our smart functions technology.”

Philippine consumers are notoriously sensitive to electricity rates. TCL claims their units, powered by T-AI (TCL Artificial Intelligence), can achieve up to 80% energy savings compared to non-inverter units.

Cheung broke down the math behind the figure:

Standard DC Inverter: Provides roughly 40% savings over non-inverters.

T-AI Technology: Adds another 37.5% efficiency gain by optimizing compressor algorithms based on usage patterns.

Total: Cumulative savings reaching approximately 80%.

TCL is aware that winning the B2B market requires more than just hardware; it requires trust. The company is rolling out end-to-end support, from the initial design phase to help engineers determine the best location for units for installation and post-project commissioning.

“We advocate not only healthy air inside the room, but also outside the house,” Cheung said, pointing toward a future where TCL is not just an appliance brand, but a central component of green building infrastructure in the Philippines.

On the next frontier of AC technology, Cheung said: “As we have established our products in the Residential market, our product development team will continuously launch new innovations to provide more benefits to our consumers. While we exert more focus on the commercial product line up as we gear towards growing our presence in this segment and continuously inspire greatness in our industry.”