How New NYC Condos Heat and Cool

Updated Oct 11, 2026 · 6 min read

Then vs. Now

Every NYC condo offering plan includes an engineer's description of the building's mechanical systems, and we read the heating and cooling specs in 1,657 of them. The electric heat pump has taken over: 93% of plans filed since 2024 use some kind of heat pump for heating and cooling, up from 39% before 2016.

PTACs (the hotel-style through-the-wall units) and radiators have almost vanished from new construction: 1% and 2% of plans filed since 2024.

Share of plans that describe how apartments are heated and cooled: 324 filed before 2016, 454 filed 2024 or later. Other systems make up the rest.

What Each System Means for You

Split system

An outdoor condenser (on the roof, a balcony or the backyard) feeds one or more indoor units, either slim wall-mounted "heads" or air handlers hidden in the ceiling. It's the go-to in small buildings: 68% of the 474 plans with under 10 apartments filed since 2022 use one. Each apartment typically has its own equipment, so you pay for the electricity and the upkeep.

VRF (variable refrigerant flow)

A more sophisticated heat pump system: outdoor condensers pipe refrigerant to indoor units in each room, with zones you control room by room. Depending on the building, each apartment gets its own condenser or several apartments share one (more on why that matters below). It's quiet and efficient, and it's the standard in larger buildings. 63% of the 94 plans with 30 to 99 apartments filed since 2022 use VRF (and 54% of the 26 with 100 or more), like VITA in Hell's Kitchen, Centric in Woodside and The Greene in Long Island City.

Water-source heat pump

Each apartment has a heat pump connected to a building water loop with a central cooling tower. Common in big towers, like Claremont Hall and Monogram. The shared loop is usually a building cost, so some of your heating and cooling shows up in common charges.

PTAC and radiators

Once common, now rare. If you're looking at a resale unit or a conversion of an older building, you'll still see them. Radiator heat from a central boiler is usually paid through common charges, and you may not be able to control the temperature room by room.

Your Own Compressor, or a Shared One?

Every heat pump has an outdoor compressor, housed in the condensing unit on the roof, a terrace or a setback. It does most of the work, and it uses most of the electricity. Offering plans describe two setups:

• Individual compressors: each apartment has its own condensing unit. That's how almost every split system works, and many VRF buildings too. 109 East 79 on the Upper East Side gives each apartment "its own" VRF condensing unit, and 717 Grand in Williamsburg puts roof condensers in for each apartment.
• Shared compressors: one larger condensing unit serves several apartments, or a whole floor. At The Treadwell on the Upper East Side, apartments are served by common VRF condensing units.

You can see the difference in the budgets. Among plans filed since 2021, VRF buildings budget about three to four times as much common-area electricity per apartment as similar-size split-system buildings: about $1,200 to $1,540 per apartment a year, against $410 to $430.

The budget's electricity line(s) per apartment per year, median, for plans filed since 2021, by the heating and cooling system the plan describes.

The comparison rests on 125 budgets, and only 10 of them are split-system buildings with 30 or more apartments, so read the larger-building gap as rough. VRF buildings also tend to have more amenities, so not all of that gap is heating and cooling, but shared equipment on the house meter is part of it.

Tip: search the offering plan for "condensing unit" and read how many apartments each one serves. Then check the Schedule B electricity footnote to see whether the HVAC equipment is on the building's meter. A building with higher common charges and lower personal electric bills may cost about the same in the end. More in who pays which utilities.

Fresh Air: The ERV Boom

Modern buildings are sealed tight to save energy, so they need a way to bring in fresh air. An ERV (energy recovery ventilator) continuously swaps stale indoor air for fresh outdoor air, transferring heat and humidity so you're not paying to heat or cool the incoming air from scratch.

Among plans that describe how apartments get fresh air:

• Before 2016, 5% of 147 plans used an ERV. The rest relied on other approaches, such as central make-up air or opening windows.
• Since 2024, 39% of 185 do. Radiant in Long Island City supplies all habitable rooms through an ERV; The Village West and One Park Row use dedicated ERV units too.

The catch: ERVs have filters that need changing. Ask whether that's your job or the building's.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy

• Where is the condenser, and is it yours? If it's on your terrace, it takes up space and makes some noise. If it's shared, find out whose meter it runs on.
• Who maintains the equipment? In-unit systems are usually the owner's responsibility. Check the offering plan's maintenance section.
• Who pays for heat? With heat pumps, you usually pay through your own electric bill. With central systems, it's often in common charges. See who pays which utilities in NYC condos.
• Is there backup heat? Some heat pump buildings add electric baseboard or resistance heat for the coldest days.

Search "condos with VRF" or "condos with an ERV" on The Condo Book Project.

Related: In-Unit Water Heaters in NYC Condos · Condo Utilities Cost per Unit, by Size