Cool Air, Hot Takes

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! 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. 

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

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

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! 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. 

Bring Your Own Power: Fuelling 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!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.