Cool Air, Hot Takes

Trane

Welcome to Cool Air, Hot Takes, the podcast that’s as smart as your building’s thermostat and twice as fun. Hosted by Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry, two HVAC pros with over 30 years of combined experience and a lifetime of friendship, this show is your go-to for the latest in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, industry news, and cutting-edge HVAC trends.

Charlie is a building-systems expert passionate about solving complex problems, and Dan, an Applications Engineer with a knack for energy-efficient design and HVAC troubleshooting, bring their expertise (and plenty of hot takes) to every episode. Together, they dive into topics like the latest trends and systems redefining buildings and Industrial systems , and the future of AI in the industry, from smart thermostats to data centers. They’ll look at what’s up with all these tech companies buying nuclear power plants, and what does it mean for the future of climate control?

Expect in-depth interviews with industry-leading experts, practical tips for engineers and contractors, and funny stories from that job that went sideways. Whether you’re designing ductwork, conducting energy audits, or upgrading to sustainable HVAC systems, this podcast is built to keep you informed and entertained.

We want to hear from you! Email us CoolAir.HotTakes@trane.com with your questions, HVAC hacks, or the funniest thing that’s ever happened on a job, and we might feature it in an episode.

Follow Cool Air, Hot Takes from Trane wherever you get your podcasts, and join us as we tackle the big questions and the finer points of thermodynamics—one hot take at a time.

About Trane Commercial
Trane Commercial, part of Trane Technologies, is a leading provider of innovative climate control solutions and energy services tailored for commercial environments. The company focuses on optimizing indoor climates through advanced HVAC systems, building automation, and sustainability initiatives. With a commitment to decarbonization, Trane aims to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings while enhancing comfort and efficiency.
Learn more at: https://www.trane.com/commercial/north-america/

Meet the Hosts
Charlie Jelen has been working with HVAC systems for over 15 years, specializing in sustainable solutions. At Trane Commercial North America, he focuses on advancing cutting edge building and industrial systems. With a background in consulting and system engineering, Charlie is committed to delivering solutions for the hardest challenges facing clients today.

Dan Gentry is an Applications Engineer. With expertise in chiller plants, heat recovery, and heat pump systems, he focuses on reliable and efficient system design.

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#32
October 13 · 37 min
Beltdraulics: The End of Hydraulics As We Know It?
For over a century, heavy machinery has run on hydraulics: fluid-filled systems that leak, wear out, and slow down over time. But a new belt-driven actuator technology inspired by human muscle movement is offering a fluid-free alternative that outperforms hydraulics in speed, efficiency, and durability. Today, Charlie and Dan speak with Hiten Sonpal, CEO of RISE Robotics and a 20-year robotics veteran whose background includes leading bomb-disposal robot programs at iRobot and building the company’s two-billion-dollar consumer robotics business, to unpack how his team is replacing hydraulic cylinders with this technology. Hiten explains why hydraulic systems are inherently limited by the fluid they depend on, why belts modeled on human muscle movement can outperform hydraulics, and why he believes predictive, sensor-driven maintenance is the more urgent shift happening in heavy equipment right now. We also have: HVAC Headlines: The 1980s: The Decade That Changed HVACR Forever | ACHR News, with the five most transformative pieces that came out of the era. Plus: Trump emergency order casts uncertainty over grid… | Canary Media. Stat of the Day: Hydraulics over time, from ancient innovations to the digital age. Ads mentioned in this episode: Trane’s Latest HVAC Innovations IntelliPak 1 Heat Pumps Connect with Hiten: Website: https://www.riserobotics.com/ Email: hiten@riserobotics.com 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.
#31
September 29 · 32 min
Submarines, Server Farms, and the Future of AI
From submarines to servers, today’s guest is Adrian Hilderbrand, a former nuclear electrician’s mate who breaks down how the skills that kept a nuclear reactor cool translate directly to keeping hyperscale data centers running. Now a principal technical program manager at Eaton, Adrian shares why he thinks small modular reactors are the next big leap for both data centers and local communities. This conversation also covers the new joint reference design from Eaton, Trane, and NVIDIA, a modular, factory-built approach to gigawatt-scale data center infrastructure that’s built like LEGO bricks and shipped ready to bolt together on site. We also have: HVAC Headlines: Cyber attacker targets refrigeration plant in Israel using remote access software, disguised as a Microsoft update. Plus: data centers are being damaged by AI’s volatile power demand. Stat of the Day: Just how much cooling capacity Navy submarines have on board to cool the crew, weapons systems, and onboard data systems. Products mentioned in this episode: Trane TRACE™ HVAC Design Software Series R® Helical Rotary Screw Chillers 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.
#30
September 15 · 36 min
The 2026 Factbook: Energy Trends Shaping HVAC
U.S. electricity demand just rose for the first time in over two decades, and the data behind that shift is reshaping how HVAC engineers, contractors, and manufacturers need to think about energy planning. Today, Charlie and Dan speak with Lisa Jacobson, a 20-year energy policy veteran who has testified before Congress and represented the U.S. in U.N. climate talks, to unpack the 2026 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. This annual data-driven snapshot of the U.S. energy landscape is produced by BCSE and BloombergNEF. Lisa shares her thoughts on what’s driving the surge in demand, why data centers are only part of the story, and why she believes energy efficiency and flexible demand may be the fastest, most underused resource the industry has. We also have: HVAC Headlines: An AC shade to block sunlight without limiting airflow. Plus: the heated debate in Europe over air conditioning. Stat of the Day: How many Americans are spending their personal budget on energy, even though electricity prices have gone up. Resources mentioned: Download the 2026 Factbook here: https://bcse.org/market-trends/ Business Council for Sustainable Energy: https://bcse.org/ Ads mentioned: Trane Building Brilliance Trane Engineer Newsletters 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.
September 1 · 51 sec
Did You Miss Us? Cool Air, Hot Takes is back for Season 5!
Your favorite Midwestern duo is back in the studio! Charlie and Dan are cranking Season 5 of Cool Air, Hot Takes into high gear, and there’s a lot to unpack. Energy, data centers, and other game-changers for the engineers and industry pros running these systems – to name a few. You’ll hear from industry insiders who’ll finally tell you where all those stats everyone loves to quote actually come from, plus engineers who traded nuclear reactors for server farms and lived to tell the tale. You’ll also get the inside scoop on a new modular system about to shake up data center infrastructure. 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.
#29
August 25 · 35 min
Throwback - NVIDIA’s Ali Heydari on the AI Revolution
While our team is cooking up Season 5, we're throwing it back to one of our favorite episodes from past seasons. 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 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, 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. Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
#28
August 12 · 35 min
Throwback - Industrial Heat: We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Pump
While our team is cooking up Season 5, we're throwing it back to one of our favorite episodes from past seasons. 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 coolair.hottakes@trane.com, leave us a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or review us 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, 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 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.
#27
July 21 · 36 min
Throwback - How AI is Changing HVAC (and Your Job)
While our team is cooking up Season 5, we're throwing it back to one of our favorite episodes from past seasons. Is AI really the future of HVAC, or just industry hype? In this episode of Cool Air, Hot Takes, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry talk with Jean-Simon Venne, CTO and co-founder of BrainBox AI, about how artificial intelligence is reshaping HVAC systems. They explore real-world ways AI boosts energy efficiency, enhances preventative maintenance, improves indoor air quality, and helps buildings reduce their carbon footprint. We also discuss: HVAC Headlines: Boston announces new net-zero emissions requirements, mandating that most large buildings achieve net-zero carbon from day one starting in 2025. AI & HVAC: What’s actually achievable when buildings embrace AI and the future of HVAC careers in an AI-driven world Stat of the Day: Dubai’s Business Bay District chilled water plant - how much cooling do you think it delivers? 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 take our listener survey at podpolls.com/hottakes and 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.
#26
June 9 · 32 min
Behind the Hood: Frank Kohout on Restaurant HVAC Design
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, 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 Frank Kohout, a 35-year HVAC engineer veteran who spent a big chunk of his career at McDonald's Global. If you've ever walked into a McDonald's and not sweated through your shirt, Frank probably had something to do with it. He walks us through what restaurant HVAC actually involves, why air balance is everything, and what happens when you get it wrong. We also have: Hot Takes: Randy from Chicago is back with another refrigerant. HVAC Headlines: The EPA removes the 410A installation deadline. A Portsmouth courthouse goes down again due to HVAC failure. Plus: Denver's plan to heat and cool downtown buildings using sewage. Stat of the Day: The world's largest fast food chains by revenue. 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 take our listener survey at podpolls.com/hottakes and 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.
#25
May 19 · 35 min
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, 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, 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. Plus: the rollback of a Biden-era rule 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 — 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.
#24
May 5 · 33 min
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, 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, with more jobs, higher ticket sizes, and lower costs. Plus: Bill Gates-backed TerraPower 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, 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.
#23
April 21 · 33 min
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, and a Winnipeg case where rooftop HVAC metal theft caused around $500,000 in damages. Stat of the Day: Domino’s delivers how many pizzas a day? And just how much did the Apollo program cost in today’s dollars? 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, 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.
#22
April 7 · 37 min
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, Trane's new collaboration on oil-free compressor technology, and a 25-year cheese study that has absolutely no business being this interesting. Stat of the Day: Which U.S. states gained the most residents in 2025. 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, 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.
#21
March 24 · 29 min
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: 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. 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. 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. 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, 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, 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.
#20
March 10 · 1 min
We are so back: Season 4 of Cool Air, Hot Takes™ is here
Hot takes, cool systems, and zero fluff — Season 4 of Cool Air, Hot Takes ™ from Trane is here. Join Charlie and Dan as they bring in the sharpest minds in the industry to break down what's actually happening in heating, cooling, and building technology. AI, refrigerants, heat pumps, data centers, and whatever else is keeping engineers up at night. Cool Air, Hot Takes ™ is brought to you by Trane Commercial, part of Trane Technologies, a leading provider of innovative climate control solutions and energy services for commercial environments. Follow now wherever you get your podcasts for sharp insights, bold opinions, and a good time guaranteed.
#19
January 13 · 34 min
District Energy Heat Pumps: Bigger, Hotter, Cleaner
Today, we’re wrapping season 3 with a deep dive into industrial high-temperature heat pumps. Hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry talk with Mobola Dosumu, National Sales Manager for Heat Pumps at Everllence, whose custom-engineered systems deliver multi-megawatt heating and up to 350°C steam for heavy industry and district energy. Mobola explains why these heat pumps aren’t “what’s next”, they’re already here, and how they’re accelerating industrial decarbonization. We also have: HVAC Headlines: Should you really cover your AC unit in winter? Plus, how AI could boost HVAC productivity by 40%, and why predictive maintenance might finally get its moment. Dan in the Factory: This week Dan meets Billy Rice, Mechanical Commissioning Agent, to talk about what happens inside a fan-wall test, and a pretty wild air-pressure job story. Stat of the Day: The funniest (and strangest) statistics about Americans - from coupon dates to conspiracy theories. 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, fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show. 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. Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
#17
Dec 30, 2025 · 26 min
The Hottest (and Coldest) Takes of 2025
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 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 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. 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, fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show. Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
#18
Dec 16, 2025 · 35 min
HVAC Legends: Mick Schwedler’s 40+ Year Legacy
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 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 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. 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, fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show. Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
#16
Dec 2, 2025 · 37 min
How Virtual Design is Changing Construction
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 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, 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. Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
#15
Nov 18, 2025 · 34 min
Bring Your Own Power: Fueling Data Centers
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 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, 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. Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
#14
Nov 4, 2025 · 35 min
NVIDIA’s Ali Heydari on the AI Revolution
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 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, 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. Follow for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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