The baffling element of the Omnibus spending bill passed by Congress in December 2015 was the lawmakers’ decision to extend residential and commercial tax credits for solar photovoltaics and big wind through 2021, while allowing similar incentives for ground source heat pumps and other “orphaned” technologies to die on the vine.
U.S. shipments of central air conditioners and airsource
heat pumps totaled 473,496 units in December
2017, up 6.3 percent from 445,355 units shipped in
December 2016.
Year-to-date U.S. shipments of residential gas storage water heaters increased 3.9 percent,
residential electric storage water heaters increased 5 percent, commercial gas storage water heaters decreased
4.9 percent, commercial electric storage water heaters increased 23.8 percent, gas warm-air furnaces decreased
4.9 percent, oil warm-air furnaces increased 0.9 percent, central air conditioners increased 5.9 percent, and airsource
heat pumps increased 7.7 percent.