Full Breakdown
Heat Pump Adoption Accelerates in New U.S. Housing
7/15/2026, 1:35:45 AM
Recent Adoption Data
Over the past 15 years, heat-pump shipments have doubled, and in the first quarter of 2024 they outpaced fossil-fuel furnace shipments by 32 percent, narrowly missing a lead over air-conditioner units. In 2024, 46 percent of newly built homes installed a heat pump, while 47 percent chose forced-air furnaces. In multifamily construction, 18 percent of new apartments featured heat pumps in the Northwest, up from virtually none half a century ago.
Drivers and Emerging Technologies
The shift is propelled by new-construction trends: three-quarters of new U.S. apartments are electrically heated, prompting builders to favor all-electric packages that include heat pumps and electric stoves. Heat pumps move heat rather than generate it, delivering a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2–4 versus a COP of 1 for resistance heating. Utilities are also piloting networked geothermal systems that circulate liquid through buried pipes, allowing heat pumps to draw stable subterranean heat and achieve efficiencies up to eight times greater than gas furnaces.
Official Statements from Industry Analysts
“All the trends are pointing towards increased heat pump adoption, not only versus gas, but also versus just traditional one-way air conditioning,” said Kevin Carbonnier, associate director of analytics at the Building Decarbonization Coalition.
“It’s kind of becoming more of a common-sense measure to only build electric, especially with these new buildings, because the appliances are also so much more efficient,” added Kristin George Bagdanov, associate director of research at the coalition.
“All the same skill sets: managing infrastructure systems, drilling, laying down pipe in the street,” Carbonnier noted regarding the transition to networked geothermal.
Challenges and Remaining Barriers
Despite the upward trend, many homebuilders still default to resistance heating (baseboard heaters), which delivers only one unit of heat per unit of electricity—significantly less efficient than heat pumps. This legacy preference slows full decarbonization of the housing stock.
Why It Matters
Widespread heat-pump adoption cuts reliance on natural gas, reduces residential carbon emissions, and aligns with bipartisan calls for expanded housing. If the current trajectory continues, electrically heated neighborhoods could become the norm, reshaping utility infrastructure and accelerating U.S. climate goals.
