AAON Leads the Industry with Lab-Tested, Field-Proven Heat Pumps While Other Manufacturers Remain in Development

TULSA, Okla., Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAON) ("AAON" or the "Company"), a leader in high-performance and energy-efficient HVAC solutions, engineered cold climate heat pump rooftop units (RTUs) that not only meet the performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Commercial Building HVAC Technology Challenge, but have also been in production, shipped and installed in the field since February.

While other manufacturers are still developing or beginning their testing phases, AAON's heat pumps are already proven in real-world conditions. "We're hearing that others are in testing, but we're in production and have units out in the field," said Brent Stockton, AAON Executive Director of Engineering. "We didn't wait for the challenge to start innovating. We were already there."

AAON's Alpha Class air-source heat pumps were developed before the DOE launched the Commercial Building HVAC Technology Challenge, which aims to accelerate the development and adoption of cold climate RTUs to improve energy efficiency, reliability and electrification in commercial buildings. AAON joined the challenge not to catch up, but to reaffirm its leadership with lab-tested, field-proven heat pumps that outperform the DOE challenge standards.

The Company's Alpha Class EXTREME SERIES heat pumps are available with 100% heating capacity at 5°F and operate reliably down to -20°F ambient temperatures. AAON offers this technology in a complete product lineup up to 30 tons, with multiple box sizes to meet diverse building needs. Even larger sizes will be available in the coming months, expanding the flexibility and scalability of AAON's solutions. These units feature variable-speed compressors, refrigerant injection and low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants, all aligned with DOE's advanced performance requirements.

"Production is in place, the supply chain is ready and we're positioned to make a real impact here," said Andrew Edmondson, AAON Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "We're ready to build and deliver the future of HVAC."

AAON's innovation is reinforced by testing at the Norman Asbjornson Innovation Center (NAIC), the world's only HVAC laboratory capable of testing both thermal and acoustic performance under full environmental load conditions ranging from –20°F to 130°F for equipment up to 540 tons. The facility's custom testing capabilities simulate up to 8 inches of rain per hour, 2 inches of snow per hour and wind speeds up to 50 mph, providing an unparalleled validation environment for real-world performance.

Through continuously investing in innovation, testing and technology, AAON continues to set the benchmark for sustainable, cold-climate HVAC solutions. While others are validating prototypes, AAON is validating performance in the field, with customers and at scale.

About AAON

Founded in 1988, AAON is a world leader in HVAC solutions for commercial and industrial indoor environments. The Company's industry-leading approach to designing and manufacturing highly configurable equipment to meet exact needs creates a premier ownership experience with greater efficiency, performance and long-term value. AAON is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where its world-class innovation center and testing lab allow AAON engineers to continuously push boundaries and advance the industry. For more information, please visit www.aaon.com.

Contact Information

Jeremy Cavness
Executive Director of Marketing
(918) 382-6539
jeremy.cavness@aaon.com

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SOURCE AAON