Midea launches its first window heat pump in the United States

A year after Gradient, Chinese home-appliance giant Midea is bringing its first window heat pump to market. Installed in under an hour, this alternative to electric radiators and oil or gas heating has attracted attention across the Atlantic, where building design is well suited to the system.

Midea window heat pump designed for extreme cold

Following years of development and full-scale trials in social housing in Queens, New York, Midea has introduced its first window heat pump. Developed in the United States by its Midea America subsidiary, which operates like a start-up, the heating unit aims to outperform existing market options, whose performance and operating conditions are limited. The window heat pump is intended to provide effective heating even in severe cold, down to –22°C.

Like its major US rival Gradient, Midea is relying on a sleek, compact heating system that is straightforward to fit. A Fast Company journalist installed the window heat pump in her own home to try it out, confirming that fitting took less than an hour. By comparison, a wall-mounted unit took a full day, required professional installation and involved drilling through walls. To maintain its performance in extreme outdoor temperatures, Midea uses a more powerful compressor developed in-house.

For efficient heating while keeping energy use under control, that compressor is connected to an outdoor temperature monitoring system that adjusts its output. “Older compressors were either on or off,” explained Brian Langness, project manager at the Midea America research centre, as quoted by Fast Company. The window heat pump is not designed to heat several rooms, but it can heat more effectively than a portable electric radiator while using less energy.

Heating performance and installation

Ultimately, the journalist said that the heat pump delivered more even heating than her gas boiler. She wrote: “when I turned up the heating while the outdoor temperature was around -7°C, the room quickly became nicely warm, more comfortable than the rest of the house”. She did, however, note its bulk, comparable to that of a conventional radiator. This could explain why some homeowners may favour wall-mounted systems, which are better suited to certain rooms.

Midea window heat pump at a glance:

• Heating capacity: 9,000 BTU/h (2.6 kW) at an outdoor temperature of 8.3°C
• “Plug-and-play” installation in 1 hour
• Operates down to –25°C (capacity reduced to 5,050 BTU/h)
• Noise level: high at ~51 dB(A), low at ~43 dB(A), quiet mode at ~29 dB(A)
• Weight: 59 kg
• Power supply: 115 V electric supply
• Price at the end of 2025: $2,800 to $3,000

Who is the window heat pump for?

For now, the window heat pump remains a purely American proposition, as current heating models have been created to fit window types that are highly common in North America but rarely found in France. As the market is still in its infancy, heating units adapted to other regions could emerge later. However, English-speaking markets such as Canada and the United Kingdom are clearly likely to come first.

Midea targets housing professionals first

Midea has started manufacturing its first window heat pump, although its initial objective is to secure agreements with professionals rather than private buyers. The brand is dealing directly only with distributors and property developers that own residential buildings. Fast Company reported that Midea America was in talks with several housing authorities, including in Boston, about pilot schemes based on the New York programme. Another pilot project is about to begin in Canada.

Each Midea window heat pump costs $2,800 or $3,000, which remains expensive for households compared with more affordable heating options. However, Midea is a Chinese home-appliance giant positioned in the mid-range rather than the premium market. According to its product manager, Brian Langness, prices will fall as production volumes rise. Even if the US federal tax credit is due to end at the close of the year, local incentive schemes, including New York State’s Clean Heat programme, will help reduce the final cost.