Analysis
February 14, 2022
Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipments Up 10% in 2021
Written by Brett Linton
U.S. heating and cooling equipment shipments in December rose 3.7% from November to 1.85 million units, according to recent data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). Total shipment levels are up 2.4% from those seen one year prior. Recall that 2020 monthly shipment levels were somewhat erratic; shipments in the second quarter were significantly impacted by the coronavirus shutdowns, resulting in a surge in Q3/Q4 shipments as manufacturers ramped up production. June 2021 saw a record-high shipment level of 2.32 million units in a single month.
Total 2021 shipments are now at 24.3 million units, up 9.8% compared to 22.2 million units shipped in the same period of 2020. As seen in the chart below, annual shipment levels for all three equipment types ended the year at record levels, each the highest seen in SMU’s 14-year data history.
