Heat pump adoption in the United States is accelerating, with sales surpassing those of fossil fuel furnaces in the first quarter of the year. A new report highlights steady growth over the past 15 years and strong uptake in new housing.
According to the Building Decarbonization Coalition, heat pump shipments doubled over the past 15 years. In the first quarter, they exceeded fossil fuel furnace shipments by 32 percent and came close to matching air conditioning units.
In 2024, heat pumps were installed in 46 percent of new housing, nearly matching the 47 percent share for forced-air furnaces. Three quarters of new apartments now use electric heating, with builders increasingly favoring heat pumps for their efficiency.
Kevin Carbonnier, associate director of analytics at the coalition, said all trends point to greater adoption. He noted that heat pumps offer comfort and efficiency over furnaces while providing cooling in summer.
Kristin George Bagdanov, associate director of research at the coalition, said electric construction is becoming standard practice in new buildings due to lower costs and higher performance.
