Electrification, CDUs, Data Centers: The Hottest Takeaways from AHR 2026

Igniting HVAC Careers at the Heavy Metal Summer Experience

Take our survey: We love making Cool Air, Hot Takes™, but we want to make sure you love listening to it. Head to podpolls.com/hottakes [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.podpolls.com.mcas.ms%2Fhottakes%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=4737ac77dfc0aee99c3330930a479f9b07a481d740d8e7a0a8dac9ead76841fe], fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show.     Today on Cool Air, Hot Takes™, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry sit down with Angie Simon [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Fin%2Fangie-simon-pe-666744%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=4737ac77dfc0aee99c3330930a479f9b07a481d740d8e7a0a8dac9ead76841fe], mechanical engineer, former president of a $125 million mechanical contractor, SMACNA President, and now co-founder of Heavy Metal Summer Experience. Instead of taking it easy in her “retirement”, she's getting kids off the couch, putting a torch in their hands, and showing them what a career in the trades looks like at Heavy Metal Summer Experience. Angie walks us through how it started, and what kids gain from the experience.   We also have:  * Hot Takes: Is opposition to data centers modern-day Luddism, and is air-cooled everything the new normal?  * HVAC Headlines: A new hospital in Newfoundland just became home to Canada's largest geothermal system [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bdcnetwork.com.mcas.ms%2Fbuilding-sector-reports%2Fhealthcare-facilities%2Fnews%2F55307881%2Fnew-hospital-in-newfoundland-features-canadas-largest-geothermal-system%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=4737ac77dfc0aee99c3330930a479f9b07a481d740d8e7a0a8dac9ead76841fe]. Plus: the rollback of a Biden-era rule [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.achrnews.com.mcas.ms%2Farticles%2F166158-hud-rescinds-energy-code-rule-impacting-hvac-systems-home-costs%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=4737ac77dfc0aee99c3330930a479f9b07a481d740d8e7a0a8dac9ead76841fe] that tied FHA and USDA-backed mortgages to 2021 energy code compliance, reportedly adding up to $31,000 to the cost of a new home.  * Stat of the Day: A look at the top and bottom 10 bachelor's degrees by early career salary [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.investopedia.com.mcas.ms%2Fwhich-bachelor-s-degrees-lead-to-the-highest-salaries-and-most-in-demand-fields-11932411%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=4737ac77dfc0aee99c3330930a479f9b07a481d740d8e7a0a8dac9ead76841fe] — and where a trades career stacks up against all of them.  We want your hot takes and questions! Email coolair.hottakes@trane.com, drop a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Don't forget to rate and follow too!  Cool Air, Hot Takes™ is a Trane Commercial podcast exploring bold innovations, emerging trends, and game-changing tech in HVAC, energy, and the built environment. Learn more at trane.com/coolairhottakes.  Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Inside Trane's 100-Year HVAC Training Legacy

Today on Cool Air, Hot Takes™, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry celebrate a milestone: Trane's Graduate Training Program turns 100. Kris Gagermeier, [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Flinkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Fin%2Fkris-gagermeier-7332a0a%2F%3FskipRedirect%3Dtrue%26McasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=262d0e2203d3f83a8d5591c0228b87538f18b6a8c76f6b0b82aa4d5fbeefb34b] Trane’s Director, Technical Training Center of Excellence joins to walk through the program's origins, how it's evolved over a century, and where AI fits into the next chapter of HVAC workforce development, including what it takes to get through 14 weeks in La Crosse.  We also have:  * HVAC Headlines: Repair revenue is eating a bigger slice of mechanical contractors' business — up from 21% to 31% since 2021 [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.housecallpro.com.mcas.ms%2Fresources%2Fhvac-industry-trends%2F%3Fmc%3Dgooglesearch-nb%26msc%3Daq_ga_nb_dynamic_search_desktop_new_bids__conversations%26utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dpaid-search%26utm_campaign%3Daq_ga_nb_dynamic_search_desktop_new_bids__conversations%26utm_content%3D23601456161%26utm_term%3D_%26site%3Ddsa-1456167871416%26gad_source%3D1%26gad_campaignid%3D23601456161%26gbraid%3D0AAAAACyiPl5b0TfaINzv90Wxdi6aXw_F2%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMIjofuwvPqkwMVJLIDAB0ovhi9EAAYAiAAEgLn5fD_BwE%26McasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=262d0e2203d3f83a8d5591c0228b87538f18b6a8c76f6b0b82aa4d5fbeefb34b], with more jobs, higher ticket sizes, and lower costs. Plus: Bill Gates-backed TerraPower [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Finterestingengineering.com.mcas.ms%2Fenergy%2Fterrapower-kemmerer-nuclear-plant-construction-wyoming%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=262d0e2203d3f83a8d5591c0228b87538f18b6a8c76f6b0b82aa4d5fbeefb34b] is breaking ground on a 500 MW sodium-cooled nuclear reactor in Wyoming, targeting 2030.  * Stat of the Day: Dan mulches it over and shares some surprising landscaping industry stats.   We want your hot takes and questions! Email coolair.hottakes@trane.com, drop a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Don't forget to rate and follow too! Take our survey: We love making Cool Air, Hot Takes™, but we want to make sure you love listening to it. Head to podpolls.com/hottakes [http://podpolls.com/hottakes], fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show.  Cool Air, Hot Takes™ is a Trane Commercial podcast exploring bold innovations, emerging trends, and game-changing tech in HVAC, energy, and the built environment. Learn more at trane.com/coolairhottakes.  Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The AI Race: HVAC's Biggest Stress Test

Today on Cool Air, Hot Takes™, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry sit down with Matt Caldwell, Director of AI & Cloud Data Centers at Hyper, a company building low-voltage electrical equipment for the data centers powering the AI boom. Matt makes the case that the US-China AI race makes the 1960s space race look like a warm-up lap — and explains why the industry needs to rethink how it designs, manufactures, and deploys infrastructure at speed.  We also have:  * Listener Hot Takes: Uncle Tom's hack for checking building pressurization, and Broadband Jesus’s EnergyNet.  * HVAC Headlines: Should your HVAC company have a mascot [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.achrnews.com.mcas.ms%2Fblogs%2F17-opinions%2Fpost%2F166045-should-your-hvac-company-have-a-mascot%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=0f4e354f6c5a828bba394fdf722fa8021e699b75f9556212afa6acf26579496a], and a Winnipeg case where rooftop HVAC metal theft caused around $500,000 in damages. [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca.mcas.ms%2Fnews%2F11769410%2Fman-accused-of-selling-metal-from-rooftop-hvac-units-in-winnipeg-charged%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=0f4e354f6c5a828bba394fdf722fa8021e699b75f9556212afa6acf26579496a]  * Stat of the Day: Domino’s delivers how many pizzas a day? [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.purestorage.com.mcas.ms%2Fperspectives%2Fhow-dominos-handles-the-busiest-pizza-days-of-the-year%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=0f4e354f6c5a828bba394fdf722fa8021e699b75f9556212afa6acf26579496a] And just how much did the Apollo program cost in today’s dollars? [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com.mcas.ms%2Fnews%2Fapollo-11-moon-landing-how-much-did-it-cost%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=0f4e354f6c5a828bba394fdf722fa8021e699b75f9556212afa6acf26579496a]  We want your hot takes and questions! Email coolair.hottakes@trane.com [coolair.hottakes@trane.com], drop a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Don't forget to rate and follow, too!  Take our survey: We love making Cool Air, Hot Takes™, but we want to make sure you love listening to it. Head to podpolls.com/hottakes [http://podpolls.com/hottakes], fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show.  Cool Air, Hot Takes™ is a Trane Commercial podcast exploring bold innovations, emerging trends, and game-changing tech in HVAC, energy, and the built environment. Learn more at trane.com/coolairhottakes.  Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Quiet By Design: Mike Dawson on Noise Control Innovation

Today on Cool Air, Hot Takes™, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry sit down with Mike Dawson, VP of Sales at Parklane Mechanical, a company that's been solving industrial noise problems for over 30 years. Data centers are booming, and we've all heard the noise about them. Turns out, they're also just literally loud. Neighbors have opinions about that. Mike breaks down how noise control works, why it needs to be part of the conversation earlier than most people think, and what the job looks like on the ground.   We also have:  * HVAC Headlines: How data centers helped keep the lights on during Winter Storm Fern [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fastcompany.com.mcas.ms%2F91486037%2Fhow-data-centers-provided-power-during-winter-storm-fern%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=9985b8da56ac956bc040c84fe2fe12747d349621daf9b94c67ff0c501648b22b], Trane's new collaboration on oil-free compressor technology [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.coolingpost.com.mcas.ms%2Fworld-news%2Ftrane-collaborates-on-oil-free-compressor-technology%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=9985b8da56ac956bc040c84fe2fe12747d349621daf9b94c67ff0c501648b22b], and a 25-year cheese study [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedaily.com.mcas.ms%2Freleases%2F2026%2F02%2F260203030540.htm%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=9985b8da56ac956bc040c84fe2fe12747d349621daf9b94c67ff0c501648b22b] that has absolutely no business being this interesting.  * Stat of the Day: Which U.S. states gained the most residents in 2025. [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.visualcapitalist.com.mcas.ms%2Fmapped-which-u-s-states-gained-the-most-residents-in-2025%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20892&McasCSRF=9985b8da56ac956bc040c84fe2fe12747d349621daf9b94c67ff0c501648b22b]  We want your hot takes and questions! Email coolair.hottakes@trane.com [coolair.hottakes@trane.com], drop a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Don't forget to rate and follow too! Take our survey: We love making Cool Air, Hot Takes™, but we want to make sure you love listening to it. Head to podpolls.com/hottakes [http://podpolls.com/hottakes], fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show.  Cool Air, Hot Takes™ is a Trane Commercial podcast exploring bold innovations, emerging trends, and game-changing tech in HVAC, energy, and the built environment. Learn more at trane.com/coolairhottakes.  Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Electrification, CDUs, Data Centers: The Hottest Takeaways from AHR 2026

Season 4 is here! Hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry are back in the studio, fresh off the floor at AHR 2026 in Las Vegas, where the Cool Air, Hot Takes™ booth was open for business, t-shirts were flying, and the industry had lots to say.  This week, Charlie and Dan break down their hot takeaways from the expo — from the CDU arms race taking over every corner of the exhibit hall, to a surprising surge in electrification energy that nobody quite saw coming.   Live from the AHR Expo floor, we hear from:   1. Allison Clements, Design Engineers: A hot take on the gap between elegant design and real-world operability and why your maintenance guy needs to be in the room.  2. Ray Reiling, Trade Water: Why end-of-life refrigerant is everybody's problem and almost nobody's responsibility, and what you can do about it.  3. David & Conrad Bishop, Twin Bishop Strategies: How the service industry is about to get hit hard by the scale of data center growth and why working smarter isn't optional anymore.  4. Spencer Ingaldson, Darcy Solutions: Groundwater-enabled geothermal that delivers 50x the capacity of a traditional well. Yes, really.   We want your hot takes and questions! Email coolair.hottakes@trane.com [coolair.hottakes@trane.com], drop a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Don't forget to rate and follow, too! Take our survey: We love making Cool Air, Hot Takes™, but we want to make sure you love listening to it. Head to podpolls.com/hottakes [http://podpolls.com/hottakes], fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show.    Cool Air, Hot Takes™ is a Trane Commercial podcast exploring bold innovations, emerging trends, and game-changing tech in HVAC, energy, and the built environment. Learn more at trane.com/coolairhottakes.    Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.