In this special end of year episode, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry are flying solo and taking you on a tour of 2025’s hottest (and coldest) takes. From bold industry predictions and legendary pop-ins, to the now iconic reminder to “never fall in love with a bearing technology,” the guys look back at the takes that shook the HVAC world, and the ones that never quite left the factory floor. (Yes, Dan, we’re looking at your season 1, episode 1 hot take. Was it the coldest of the year? You tell us.) 

We also have: 

• HVAC Headlines: How Trane and NVIDIA are shaping AI thermal design 
• Hottest & Coldest Takes of 2025:  the death of liquid cooling, bringing your own power to the data center industry and draining water heaters. Do you agree with Charlie and Dan? 
• Stat of the Day: which U.S. airline most deserves a middle seat on the naughty list for worst on-time performance? 

We want your hot takes and questions! Email [email protected], 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 TakesTM 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.  

Today, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry are joined by an HVAC legend, Mick Schwedler. With more than 43 years at Trane and former Global ASHRAE President, Mick reflects on how the industry has evolved from floppy disks and early energy modeling to digital design, electrified heating, and systems-level innovation. He explains why giving engineers just a bit more time and budget leads to better, more efficient buildings, and why HVAC’s true impact goes far beyond comfort cooling. From supporting cold-chain vaccines to reducing emissions and protecting health, Mick shows how this industry improves lives and inspires the next generation of engineers. 

We also have: 

• HVAC Headlines: the year HVAC “got run over by a reindeer,” Trane dives into liquid-to-chip cooling, and how to get your home winter-ready. 
• Hot or Not: A special 1980s HVAC edition with Mick. Is thermal storage still hot? Would CHP ever rule the world? Debate ensues. 
• Stat of the Day: Which countries rank highest for quality of life. 

We want your hot takes and questions! Email [email protected], 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 TakesTM 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. 

Today, Autodesk’s Director of Product Management, Ian Molloy, joins hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry to explore how digital design is transforming the built environment. We dig into where building information modelling (BIM) is heading, what truly defines a digital twin, and how Autodesk and Trane are closing the gap between modeling and load calculations. Ian also explains how prefab workflows are speeding up construction and how early design choices, from massing to HVAC systems, shape both operational and embodied carbon. Plus, we learn about the industry’s “more-on principle” and why right-sizing matters more than ever. 

We also have: 

• HVAC Headlines: how yogurt-coated windows (yes, really) can lower the temperature of your home, and what’s been a tough year for residential shipments. 
• Dan in The Factory: We send Dan on a mission to find out the wildest job story from Area Service Manager, Bryon Wilfong.
• Stat of the Day: The nation's priciest college tuition. 

We want your hot takes and questions! Email [email protected], 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. 

Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

We’re back with another data-center-deep-dive - this time with Jason Espeseth, Principal Electrical Engineer at Geronimo Power. Together with hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry, Jason breaks down the rise of “bring your own power” data centers and explains how pairing wind, batteries, and firming gas near-site can dramatically reduce interconnection timelines and avoid passing grid costs to ratepayers. We also talk gen-ties, utility feeds for stability, and how some data centers could be powered by up to 70% renewable energy.

We also have:

• HVAC Headlines: The first U.S. sodium-ion grid battery and what it means - could this reshape energy storage?
• Hot or Not: Producer Elena asks Charlie and Dan: are microgrids the future of data centers? And are data centers the new monuments of our time?
• Stat of the Day: Which country uses the most energy? (Spoiler: not who you think.)

We want your hot takes and questions! Email [email protected], 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.

Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

We’re back! And we’ve gone big for the first episode of season 3!

Today, Ali Heydari, Director of Data Center Cooling and Infrastructure at NVIDIA, joins hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry to unpack how AI “factories” are reshaping data center design and why Ali thinks the AI revolution is the biggest change to the our lives since the industrial revolution. Ali explains why geometry (not thermodynamics) pushed the move from air to liquid, why NVIDIA standardized on PG25 for direct-to-chip cooling, and how digital twins in Nvidia’s Omniverse help right-size everything from chillers to dry coolers. We also dig into the tradeoffs between higher loop temps and rack density, and why cross-industry collaboration matters more than ever.

We also have:

• HVAC Headlines: Why Legionella is a serious risk of poorly maintained HVAC equipment and how to avoid it, plus, why prices are soaring in the country’s largest grid region.
• Stat of the Day: Can you guess which states lost the most power in 2024?

We want your hot takes and questions! Email [email protected], 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.

Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Today on Cool Air, Hot Takes, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry sit down with Mike Fierro, Supply Chain Products Manager at SourceBlue (Turner Construction), to unpack how the biggest projects actually get done. From pre-purchasing chillers and generators, to designing around lead times, Mike explains what changed post-COVID, why data centers are rewriting the playbook, and how a hyperscale job went from PO to units on the factory floor in days. Plus his hot take: that the U.S. tried to electrify too fast… do you agree?

We’ve also got:

• HVAC Headlines: Tucson’s “Beast” plant at Davis-Monthon Air Force Base and what might come after R-454B/R-32.
• Dan Inside the Factory: A walkthrough at Trane’s La Crosse lab and a sneak peak at some of the centrifugal chillers. 
• Stat of the Day: Where AIs get their information, and it’s not what you’d expect. 

This is the last episode of season 2! Thanks for riding along on this journey with us. Season 3 will be dropping in a few weeks.

Until then, we still want your hot takes and questions! Emails [email protected], drop a comment on Youtube or Spotify, or leave 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 technology in HVAC and energy management. 

Follow for new episodes and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, Zach Zentz, Technician Productivity Manager at Trane, joins hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry for a deep dive into the world of HVAC technicians. From what a day on the job really looks like to why laptops are now just as essential as the wrenches, Zach breaks down the challenges and opportunities shaping the HVAC technician experience. He also shares stories from the field, including 20-hour casino shifts, extreme rooftop repairs, and why data centers are also changing the game for techs.

We also have:

• HVAC Headlines: The future of cold storage, how we’re making data centers more flexible, and the biggest headline of all…Dan’s birthday!
• Application Engineer Fantasy Draft: Charlie and Dan pick their dream HVAC team
• Stat of the Day: Which athletes take home the biggest paychecks in the world?

We want your hot takes and questions! You can email us at [email protected], leave us a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or review us 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 technology in HVAC and energy management.

Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Data Centers: Hot Servers, Cool Solutions

Today, Sam Brown, Chief Development Officer at Serverfarm, joins hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry, for a deep dive into the world of data centers. From the art of picking the perfect site to why he’s not convinced liquid cooling will dominate the future, Sam shares insights from 15 years in the industry. Plus, Sam explains why he thinks data centers might just be the hidden monuments of our generation.

We also have:

• HVAC Headlines: Why private equity is buying up independent contractors. 
• Dan Inside the Factory: Dan’s on assignment again, this time with Scott Nieman, looking at Cooling Distribution Units.
• Stat of the Day: Which US states spend the most on childcare?

We want your hot takes and questions! You can email us at [email protected], leave us a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or review us on Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to rate and follow too!

Cool Air, Hot Takes is a Trane Commercial HVAC podcast exploring bold innovations, emerging trends, and game-changing technology in HVAC and energy management.

Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Managing HVAC Assets the Smart Way

Today on Cool Air, Hot Takes, Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry are joined by Stephen Zetarski, COO of Nuvolo, to explore how data-driven asset management is changing the way buildings operate and the way technicians work. From cloud-based platforms that connect every asset and workflow, to improving service speed and accuracy, this truly is the definition of working smarter, not harder. 

Plus, we also have:

• HVAC Headlines: The top emerging technologies of 2025 and a cooler that doubles up as an air conditioner?!
• Dan Inside the Factory: Dan goes behind the scenes at one of Trane’s factories to get a closer look at the ECTV chillers. 
• Stat of the Day: Which US States Eat the Most Fast Food?

We want your hot takes and questions! You can email us at [email protected], leave us a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or review us 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 technology in HVAC and energy management.

Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Industrial heat accounts for approximately a quarter of global energy consumption, says Ruth Checknoff, today’s guest, and is the key to hitting climate targets. 

Today on Cool Air, Hot Takes, Dan and Charlie welcome Ruth Checknoff, Senior Project & Research Director at the Renewable Thermal Collaborative, to talk about the hot (literally) challenge of decarbonizing industrial thermal processes. From whiskey distilleries in Scotland to policies in Pennsylvania, New York and Colorado, Ruth walks us through the tech, the trends, and the temperature thresholds behind industrial heat pumps, thermal batteries, and more.

Plus, we have:

• HVAC Headlines: Why Charlie loves the demand control ventilation at Disney and the wild world of copper theft and HVAC units.
• Listener Mailbag: Air source boilers and nuclear power’s comeback.
• Stat of the Day: Which states are building America? 

We want your hot takes and questions! You can email us at [email protected], leave us a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or review us 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 technology in HVAC and energy management.

Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week on Cool Air, Hot Takes, we’re doing something a little different.

We’re dropping a special crossover episode from our friends over at the Healthy Spaces podcast, featuring our very own Dan Gentry and Charlie Jelen.

Together, they sit down with Dominique Silva and Scott Tew to share how two middle-school friends from Wisconsin ended up in HVAC, what their favorite hot takes from the podcast so far are, and what they do in their day jobs helping customers make real, sustainable and efficient progress across their buildings and systems. 

They also break down the four “buckets” of decarbonization, what a systems approach really means, and why energy efficiency is just the beginning. Plus, hot takes on AI, the future of HVAC, growing tomatoes in the desert, and what Dan calls his “favorite first form of decarbonization.”

There’s also:

• How Dan has helped create the perfect environment for designer strawberries
• Why the most disruptive changes in HVAC may still be ahead, and why data will become the most important product in the energy business. 
• A Behind the Scenes look at some of the real projects Dan and Charlie are working on.

Got a hot take or question? We want to hear it! Email us at [email protected] or leave us a comment on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.

Cool Air, Hot Takes is a Trane Commercial podcast exploring bold innovations, emerging trends, and game-changing technology in HVAC and energy management. Learn more about the show here.

Follow and stream all episodes now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to also check out the Healthy Spaces podcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these ones: RefrigeRANTS: The Good, The Bad, The Banned, How AI is Changing HVAC (and Your Job) with Brainbox AI, Decarbonization: Challenge or Opportunity?