Skip to main content

Carrier Celebrates the 120th Anniversary of Modern Air Conditioning

Where were we 120 years ago? Before we had bubble gum, short-wave radios, Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, or airplanes, Willis Carrier came up with one cool invention: modern air conditioning. Originally developed to solve humidity problems plaguing a printing press in Brooklyn, New York, Carrier’s innovation has gone on to enable entire industries, power new possibilities and impact lives in all corners of the world. Carrier is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE:CARR), the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions.

Over the past 120 years, modern air conditioning – and the company born out of it – has fundamentally changed the way people live, work, learn and play. We helped give rise to the summer blockbuster. We kept travelers cool and comfortable on trains and ships. We fueled the skyward expansion of cities around the world, helped preserve history, and enabled the start of the digital age. Air conditioning has facilitated the rise of
the modern indoor environment: one that improves the health, productivity, and comfort of the people inside.

“At Carrier, we’re committed to developing heating and cooling solutions that improve the health and safety of consumers while reducing carbon emissions,” said Justin Keppy, President, NA Residential & Light Commercial HVAC, Carrier. “We look forward to building on 120 years of industry-leading innovation for a more sustainable future.

” Carrier’s forward-thinking solutions of today build on the ingenuity of Willis Carrier’s invention. We innovate to solve for some of the world’s greatest challenges, including climate change and public health. For example:

  • As part of Carrier Global Corporation’s 2030 Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) Goals, we are targeting carbon neutrality across our operations and aiming to reduce our customers’ carbon footprint by more than one gigaton.
  • As COVID-19 shined a light on the criticality of public health, we launched our Healthy Buildings Program to provide healthier and safer indoor environments. Through products such as our Abound suite of connected solutions, our goal is to make indoor air “visible” – so good air quality becomes as important and expected as safe drinking water.
  • Carrier invests in important research including the COGfx Study series, led by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, that demonstrated better thinking and better health can be found inside healthier buildings with enhanced ventilation.

With 120 years to be proud of, we’re looking ahead to the next 120, as the innovation that changed everything is still changing the world. Learn more about Carrier’s legacy of innovation, as well as the complete history of modern air conditioning, at Carrier.com.

About Carrier
Founded by the inventor of modern air conditioning, Carrier is a world leader in high-technology heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions. Carrier experts provide sustainable solutions, integrating energy-efficient products, building controls and energy services for residential, commercial, retail, transport and food service customers. Carrier is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the leading provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions. For more information, visit www.carrier.com or follow @Carrier on Twitter.