According to the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute’s (ARI) recent statistical release, combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air source heat pumps for March totalled 636,199, up to 65 percent from last month’s total, but down 12 percent from March 2006 shipments.

Year-to-date combined U.S. factory shipments totalled 1.3 million, down 32 percent from the same period last year. Heat pump shipments for March totaled 195,470, up to 43 from last month, but down 21 percent compared with March 2006 shipments. Year-to-date heat pump shipments totalled 449,123, down 22 percent from the same period last year.

ARI is the trade association representing manufacturers of more than 90 percent of the air conditioning and commercial refrigeration equipment installed in North America. An internationally recognized leader in developing standards for and certifying the performance of these products, ARI is also a major advocate for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) industry both domestically and abroad.