More and More People Are Choosing Ductless Air Conditioners

There are many reasons people prefer ductless air conditioners and a recent interview with a top AC executive shows that ductless air conditioners are gaining more market share ever year. The interview was published in The News and is titled NEWSmakers Q&A: Ductless HVAC Continues to Grow. At AC World we’re excited to see more people understanding that this is the air conditioning option for the future and we’re happy to share some highlights from the interview.

Kyle Gargaro writes, “As the ductless market continues to grow and gain acceptance in the U.S., The NEWS got a chance to talk with Mark Kuntz, senior vice president, Mitsubishi Electric US Cooling & Heating Division. The executive shares with our HVAC contractor readers the ductless technology trends he is seeing from a manufacturer’s perspective and what contractors can do to sell the product.

The NEWS: First off, what portion of the market share does ductless HVAC currently occupy, and where do you see it going in five years?

Kuntz: You take the U.S. HVAC market in total — from packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs) to chillers — and you look at it from a dollar value, ductless technology accounts for about 5 percent of that total market, and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) constitutes about 3 percent. We are experiencing double-digit growth, as we have for most of our history, and while that means it is a pretty substantial dollar growth, we expect the market share over the next several years to be 7-8 percent for ductless and as high as 5 percent for VRF.

The NEWS: What is leading this growth?

Kuntz: Up until now, I would say both technologies have been a niche solution for hard-to-serve areas, like historic buildings or residential sun rooms — places that needed the compact size or high efficiency. That has been a good market for us. What is driving us now is that the early adopters have seen that the technology is a great fit beyond just the niche applications. On the residential side, we’re seeing the whole trend of high-performance home construction bringing the market straight to us. This is opening up new opportunities and getting us beyond the niche market and into the mainstream.

The NEWS: What is the biggest misconception about ductless?

Kuntz: I think it would be the thought that it is just for use in single-room applications. People who travel internationally have seen the technology in hotel rooms. The earliest applications in the U.S. were sunrooms and garage conversions. People think these single-zone applications are the limit for these units, but that isn’t true.”

At AC World we’d agree – many people believe that ductless air conditioners are only used in single rooms. The truth is that multi-zone heating and cooling units can help save homeowners money and provide affordable, efficient air conditioning. Contact AC World today to learn more about your options.