These units use electric resistance heating, they do not heat using heat pumps. Mini splits require some gas handling equipment like a pressure gauge that most people will not have. I'm talking about something plug-n-play that anyone can install easily without hiring a contractor. There were a few actual heat pump window units in the past but they are no longer sold and they never made many of them to start with (or promoted them much). I think window heat pumps should be ubiquitous. Even if they don't heat/cool the entire house/apartment, they would be a very quick way to reduce some significant use of fossil fuels. For any solution that requires a contractor, the contractor will become a bottleneck to deployment and also raise the cost. If you want a quick global warming benefit enlist the millions of ordinary people to make a difference. Don't wait on the utility companies and government.
Expensive, but it does seem to be a true heat pump. Looked at several stores that sell it and they usually have just one in stock. Requires 240V wiring so it's not just plug-n-play. Almost no reviews but the few that exist are positive. Adoption would be easier for those who want to offset some of their fossil fuel use if it was 120V, but it's encouraging that one even exists.
I wonder if it will use the heat pump at lower temperatures. Found this document:
which says the AH models (the ones that use the heat pump for heating) also include a resistive heater, probably for when the temperature goes below what the heat pump can handle. They provide cooling specs per temperature range, but not heating specs per temperature range. So I suspect the heat pump cuts out at 41F like similar models. If it was a modern heat pump they wouldn't need to include the resistive heater.
That unit has been discontinued, GE doesn't sell it direct and where it shows up on a few other sites it's listed as "discontinued" or "not available":
This is unfortunately common, I've been looking for small window heat pumps (that don't require a special power connection) for a few years now. Actual heat pump units have been discontinued and currently available ones turn out to actually be resistive heaters. You can tell by looking at the current draw spec for heating mode.
This one may actually be a heat pump but according to a review it won't work below 41F and hose connected units are known to be very inefficient:
It seems a few manufacturers tried selling some small window heat pump units years ago, but nobody bought them because they cost more than an air conditioner (they charged twice as much) so they discontinued them. Perhaps poor marketing on the manufacturers part, but it means that now there are none on the market when people might actually buy them to offset climate change.
