LaGrand gave an overview of the industry's transition to 13 SEER minimum efficiency products and characterized it as a series of choices. Unlike some other manufacturers, Nordyne chose to build 10 and 12 SEER equipment "to meet market demands for as long as we could," said LaGrand. The planned changeover to 13 SEER and higher-efficiency equipment took less than a week. Although the changeover worked well, the company experienced some significant shifts in market demand.
There were several surprises, according to LaGrand. "There was a surge in demand for heat pumps, industry shipments of 410A product exceeded 50 percent, and demand for 15 and 16 SEER products have been off the charts." Most importantly for Nordyne, demand for the new 23 SEER iQ Driveâ„¢ products has been well above the company's best projections.