The Heat Pump Yearbook
Awards, records, and superlatives from the cold climate heat pump market.
Celebrating excellence in efficiency, performance, and innovation.
Total Awards
Brands Winning
Most Decorated
4 wins
Close Races
within 5%
Dominant Wins
>15% margin
Competition Analysis
Competitive dynamics revealed
Close Races
Top 3 within 5% of each other
Dominant Wins
Runaway victories with >15% margin
Carrier
Carrier dominates with 133.3% lead in Dynasty Award
Mitsubishi Electric
Mitsubishi Electric dominates with 100% lead in Market Disruptor
Mitsubishi Electric
Mitsubishi Electric dominates with 60% lead in Niche Excellence
Competitive market
Champions by Capacity
Best performers for different home sizes
Mitsubishi Electric
SUZ-AA18NL***
Fujitsu
AOUH15KTAP1
Mitsubishi Electric
MUZ-FX18NLHZ2***
Carrier
37MUHAQ18AA3
Triple Crown Champion
Best all-around performer combining COP@5°F, SEER2, and capacity retention
87
Mitsubishi Electric
MUZ-FX06NLHZ2***
88
Fujitsu
AOUH09KTAP1
87
Mitsubishi Electric
MUZ-FX06NLHZ***
All Awards
Click on any award to see details
Best performance in extreme cold
Highest COP@5°F
York
XH536E2S11
"This unit maintains efficient heating even at -15°F"
Most efficient cooling
Highest SEER2
Midea
37MPRAQ06AA3
"Uses up to 40% less electricity than minimum efficiency units"
Most efficient heating season-wide
Highest HSPF2
Lennox
A-ZHP18SA-1
"Delivers exceptional heating efficiency throughout the season"
Least capacity loss in cold weather
Best Capacity Ratio
Lennox
A-ZHP06SA-1
"Maintains 150% of its rated capacity at 5°F"
Peak cooling efficiency rating
Highest EER2
Midea
37MPRAQ06AA3
"Delivers maximum efficiency during peak cooling demand"
Best combined cold weather performance
Polar Bear Award
Rheem
RP15AY42AJ2N
"Combines COP@5°F and capacity retention for true cold climate dominance"
Best capacity retention with excellent efficiency
Temperature Resilience
Lennox
A-ZHP06SA-1
"Maintains output even when temperatures plummet below zero"
Largest capacity with excellent efficiency
Heavyweight Champion
Gree
MHPC-H-060BMB
"Powers large homes while maintaining 2.0+ COP in cold weather"
Best efficiency in compact units
Lightweight Champion
York
HH824E2S11
"Perfect for single rooms or small spaces with maximum efficiency"
Brand with most top-10 appearances
Dynasty Award
Carrier
14 top-10 placements
"Consistently dominates leaderboards across all efficiency metrics"
Brand with most uniform performance
Most Consistent
AUX
103 models analyzed
"Every unit performs as expected - no surprises, just reliability"
Unit that exceeds its class expectations
Overachiever Award
Trane
5A6H4060A1
"Outperforms its 48k+ BTU class average by a massive margin"
Rarest of the rare - 99th percentile
Unicorn Status
Trane
5A6H7036A1
"Only 1% of heat pumps can achieve this level of performance"
Consistent high performance across capacity tiers
Efficiency Endurance
York
Above-avg in 3 capacity tiers
"Delivers above-average efficiency whether you need a small unit or a powerhouse"
Brand with highest avg COP@5°F across portfolio
Cold Climate Specialist
York
307 models analyzed
"This brand focuses on making every unit perform well in the cold"
Top 25% in ALL four key metrics
Balanced Excellence
Fujitsu
AOUH09KTAP1
"No compromises - excels in COP, SEER2, HSPF2, and capacity retention simultaneously"
Small brand punching above its weight
Market Disruptor
Mitsubishi Electric
2% market share
"Tiny market presence but elite performance - a true disruptor"
Brand dominating a specific capacity tier
Niche Excellence
Mitsubishi Electric
Dominates 18k BTU tier
"Owns the 18k BTU capacity segment with 8 top-5 finishes"
Above-average models across all capacity tiers
All-Rounder Brand
Mitsubishi Electric
Above-avg in 5/5 tiers
"Whether you need a unit for a tiny room or a mansion, this brand has you covered"
Brand Leaderboard
Which brands dominated the awards
| Rank | Brand | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| York | 4 | |
| Lennox | 3 | |
| Mitsubishi Electric | 3 | |
4 | Midea | 2 |
5 | Trane | 2 |
6 | Fujitsu | 2 |
7 | Rheem | 1 |
8 | Gree | 1 |
9 | Carrier | 1 |
10 | AUX | 1 |
How We Pick Winners
Awards are calculated from our database of certified cold climate heat pumps, using real AHRI-certified performance data including COP@5°F, SEER2, HSPF2, and capacity retention metrics.
Performance Awards
Based on raw metric values - highest COP, SEER2, etc.
Triple Crown Score
Weighted composite: 40% COP@5°F, 30% Capacity Ratio, 20% SEER2, 10% HSPF2
Brand Awards
Analyzed across all models from each manufacturer
Fun Awards
Statistical outliers and unique achievements
Data is refreshed as new products enter the market. All metrics are AHRI-certified.
