Last holdouts are warming up to central air (Soaring AC sales and record electricity demand in MN)

[NickB79]

http://www.startribune.com/local/166661946.html?refer=y

For many Minnesotans who long have held out against air conditioning, this is the summer they joined the crowd.

A second uncomfortably warm July in a row prompted a run on central air-conditioning systems, keeping installers busy and even helping to drive one-day electricity use to a record high for a northeastern Minnesota utility that previously had seen records only in the winter.

In the Twin Cities, air-conditioning installations for one company were up 40 percent compared with 2010, when a federal tax credit boosted business.

"They call and say they can't take it anymore," said Scott Spanjers, sales manager at Twin Cities Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning. "We've broken the spirit of true Minnesotans that can take anything."

Welcome to the New Normal.

[cprise]

1. How many of these idiots

could have installed a ground-source heat pump?

The article has the gall to mention global warming without mentioning what the more sustainable cooling options are. They didn't get input from consumers who were trying to be more responsible. The overall message in the article was, "Oh well it gets hot now so this is what you do... buy an air conditioner".