MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada’s (HRAI’s) annual statistics forecast for 2009 projects that commercial air conditioning shipments will decrease by 2 percent, residential air conditioning will decrease by 5 percent, and residential furnace shipments will decrease by 6 percent, as compared to 2008’s projected final figures.

Commercial air conditioning’s actual shipments measured 45,458 in 2007. The projected year-end figure for 2008 shows an approximate decrease of 1 percent to 45,000, while the forecast for 2009 projects a 2 percent decrease to 44,000.

Compared to the actual 2007 shipments of 227,349, residential air conditioning’s projected 2008 figures decrease by 2 percent to 223,000. Compared to 2008, the 2009 forecast predicts a 5 percent decrease to 212,000.

The actual 2007 residential furnace shipments were 318,964. The projected year-end figure for 2008 shows a decrease of 7 percent to 297,000 and the forecast for 2009 decreases over 2008 by 6 percent to 280,000.

For more information, visit www.hrai.ca.

Publication date: 12/15/2008