2015: An Exceptional Year for Ductless  
2015 was a great year for ductless systems with over 29,000 sales reported, an 18% increase over 2014. Over 9,500 ductless systems were installed using the 1:1 displacement approach in our target market of existing homes with zonal or furnace electric heat.

Do consumers have concerns about the cost of ductless systems? Help lower your consumers' upfront costs by offering a utility rebate or financing, on top of state or federal tax credits.These make ductless systems more affordable than ever. Pass on the savings by checking with your local utility for information and requirements on available rebate or financing options. Check with your state Energy Department on available tax credits and stay up to date with any promotions through your ductless system distributor or manufacturer.
 
On behalf of the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project, thank you for your participation. Let's continue the positive ductless trajectory in 2016!
 
Suzi Asmus, Program Manager, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Take Advantage of 2015 & 2016 Federal Tax Credits
Help your consumers maximize savings and increase their likelihood of investing in a ductless system by leveraging federal tax credits. Congress recently passed legislation that retroactively extends federal residential energy efficiency tax credits to 2015 installations and is available through the end of 2016. Let your consumers know their 2015 and 2016 installation may be eligible. Visit the ENERGY STAR® website to learn more.
Installation Tip
Be sure to install locking refrigerant caps on service ports to deter refrigerant misuse and to seal the valve as required by local code. Check-in with distributors for availability of locking caps.  

For other installation tips, check out the Best Practices Installation guide. 
2015 Q4 Sales Update 
Historically, Q4 is the second highest sale period of the year; however a warmer summer in 2015 led to higher than expected sales in Q2 and Q3 due to increased cooling degree days. Q4 sales were down by 23% from Q3, yet still 1% greater than the same quarter in 2014. Many consumers purchased ductless systems earlier in the year for their cooling capabilities rather than waiting for the Q4 heating season. Start preparing now for another warm summer in 2016! See our summary of sales and installations below:


Drive Sales with Marketing and Consumer Education Tools
Don't forget about the marketing and consumer education resources available on GoingDuctless.com. We have everything from sample ads and  web-copy tips to sales staff FAQs, infographics and homeowner guides. Take advantage of this wide range of customizable tools to help promote and educate your customers on ductless systems throughout the year.

Have you used any of these tools for your own marketing efforts?  Send us a message  with links or attachments showing how you are using these tools. We'd love to see examples!

Please reach out with any questions or feedback: info@goingductless.com or 503.467.2159.
 
Sincerely,
The NW Ductless Heat Pump Project team


The NW Ductless Heat Pump Project is an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA). NEEA is an alliance of more than 140 Northwest utilities and energy efficiency organizations working to accelerate the innovation and adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices in the Northwest.