Is the U.S. Unitary Market Cooling after Overheating?

The combined shipments of central air conditioners and heat pumps in the United States this year are showing strong growth, according to data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). These central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps are called ducted air-to-air (ATA) cooling-only and heat pump systems mainly outside the United States. Therefore, they are simply referred to as central ducted air conditioners here. Cumulative shipments from January to June 2021, announced by AHRI on August 13, 2021, increased by 19.1% compared with the same period last year. In particular, the shipment increases in April and May were remarkable, with year-on-year increases of 55.2% in April and 31.5% in May.