Abstract
US demand to grow 5.6% annually through 2012
Demand for consumer water purification and air cleaning systems is projected
to increase 5.6 percent per year to $1.5 billion in 2012. Gains will be driven
by consumer concerns about the quality of the air and water in the home, and
greater awareness of the healthful and aesthetic benefits of these systems.
Additionally, existing owners of purification systems are continuing to
upgrade to higher value versions with specialty features such as performance
indicators and multiple treatment technologies. The aftermarket plays an
important role in the industry with sales of replacement filters and membranes
forecast to reach $2.7 billion in 2012. Gains will be driven by rising
penetration rates as well as marketing efforts and performance indicators
aimed at improving replacement compliance.
Point-of-use systems to outgain whole house types
In 2007, water purification and air cleaning system demand was dominated by
equipment intended for use in a limited area of the house. Point-of-use POU)
water purification systems, which are installed at a single outlet, had the
larger share of demand for water systems in 2007. Similarly, portable air
cleaners, which are designed to treat the air in a single room, accounted for
the larger share of sales of air cleaners in 2007. Both POU water purification
systems and portable air cleaners are expected to post faster growth through
2012 compared to their whole-house counterparts, benefitting from advantages
such as lower initial costs, a wider range of available purification
technologies, more user-friendly operation and, in most cases, do-ityourself
installation. Additionally, some consumers purchase more than one POU water
system or portable air cleaner for use in a single home.
Water purification systems that feature conventional filtration media
accounted for the majority of demand for water systems in 2007, with 76
percent of sales value. However, faster growth will be registered by higher
value reverse osmosis and distillation systems, although from significantly
smaller bases. These systems can process a broader range of contaminants
compared to conventional filters. In general, growth is largely dependent on
the quality -- or the perceived quality -- of local tap water supplies. Demand
for water purification systems will also benefit from a trend to switch away
from bottled water and toward treated tap water. Among air cleaners,
conventional filtration systems accounted for the largest share of value
demand with 47 percent in 2007, benefitting from thorough air cleaning and
minimal to no ozone production. However, electrostatic air cleaners are
projected to achieve slightly faster gains through 2012 because they offer
improved efficiency, quieter functioning and a low operational cost.
Study coverage
Consumer Water Purification & Air Cleaning Systems is a new Freedonia industry
study presents historical demand data (1997, 2002 and 2007) plus forecasts for
2012 and 2017 by product and market. This study also considers market
environment factors, evaluates company market share data and profiles 35
competitors in the US industry.
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