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?

We’re back! Welcome to Season 2 of Cool Air, Hot Takes: the podcast where buildings, energy, and HVAC collide in all the best ways. Hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry return with fresh (hot) takes, big laughs, and sharp insights into what’s next in the world of HVAC and energy systems.

In this episode, we’re going deep on PIC valves, that’s pressure independent control valves, with Rob Trickett, VP of Sales and Marketing at Flow Control Industries. Ever wonder how a single valve could unlock massive energy savings, fix your delta T issues, or even potentially save you millions of dollars? You’ll want to hear this one.

Rob breaks down:

• What PIC valves are and how they work
• Why systems could be underperforming without them
• Where designers should start integrating them for maximum impact
• How NASA’s Johnson Space Center retrofitted them
• How a Las Vegas stadium shaved $10M off steel costs using PICs

Also in this episode:

• HVAC Headlines: Flow batteries take on the data center energy crisis, and what the Q1 sales in residential heat pump furnaces and air conditioning units say about where the market is heading.
• Listener Mailbag: Can next-gen refrigerants really be "drop-in"? And how do data centers pick their sites?
• Stat of the Day: Which U.S. state has the fastest and slowest drivers?

Send us your hot takes and questions! We want to feature you on the show! 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 and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The podcast that’s as smart as your building’s thermostat is back!

Hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry return for Season 2 of Cool Air, Hot Takes, the podcast that dives deep into the future of HVAC, energy systems, and the bold ideas reshaping buildings.

Whether you’re an engineer, designer, facility manager, or just someone who appreciates a healthy delta T, you’re in the right place.

This season, expect bigger ideas, even hotter takes, more interviews with industry leading experts, and of course, Stat of the Day!

New episodes will be dropping every two weeks.

In the meantime, got a hot take or a burning HVAC question? Email us at [email protected], leave us a question or comment on Spotify or Youtube, or a review on Apple Podcasts.

Follow and stream all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your shows.

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

What if your building could act like a battery - and get paid for it?

In this episode of Cool Air, Hot Takes, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry talk with Adam Scarsella, Director of Sales at Voltus, about how demand response and virtual power plants are transforming energy use. From chillers to controls, they break down how smart buildings are shedding loads, shifting demand, and supporting the grid – all while creating new revenue opportunities.

You'll hear:

• HVAC Headlines: Europe plans massive offshore "energy islands" to connect wind power to mainland grids, and Australian researchers discover that air conditioners could be a useful tool in solving crime - yes, HVAC meets CSI
• The Business Case for Demand Response: From data centers to hospitals, how flexible loads are generating revenue and strengthening the grid.
• Stat of the Day: A new report shows in-office work is back in a big way - can you guess which industries have seen the biggest increase?

We want to hear your hot takes! Email us at [email protected]. You can also leave us a comment on Spotify or Youtube, or a review on 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.

Is decarbonization the biggest challenge or the biggest opportunity for the HVAC industry?

In this episode of Cool Air, Hot Takes, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry are joined by Molly Dee-Ramasamy, Director of Deep Carbon Reduction at JB&B, to unpack what decarbonization really means for buildings, systems, and the people designing them. From electrification and grid impacts to policy shifts and heat recovery, they dive into what’s changing, what’s working, and what HVAC pros need to know to stay ahead.

We also discuss:

• HVAC Headlines: The EPA reconsiders key refrigerant phase-out rules under the AIM Act, and new research finds poor restroom ventilation can increase exposure to airborne bacteria like E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus… designers, take note.
• Is It Hot or Cold: Charlie and Dan bring back Hot or Cold, but this time, the decarb edition!
• Stat of the Day:  Top performing S&P 500 stocks over the last 20 years. Can you do better than Dan?

Got a hot take, question, or rant? Let us know! Leave us a comment on Spotify or Youtube, a review on Apple Podcasts or you can also email us at [email protected].

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.

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?

Got a hot take, question, or your own AI predictions? Email us at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you! You can also leave a comment on Spotify and Youtube, or a review on 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. To learn more about the show, check us out here.

Follow and stream all episodes now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What’s the real story behind AC refrigerants? Why are some being phased out, others destroyed, and what does it mean for the HVAC industry?

In this episode of Cool Air, Hot Takes, Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry sit down with Ray Rieling from Tradewater to talk about refrigerants - the good, the bad, and the banned. From legacy refrigerants like R-22 to the controversial future of HFC refrigerant destruction, they break down the impact on climate control, system design, and HVAC sustainability. Plus, the team hears your refrigeRANTS - should we get rid of them entirely? Should we bring R-22 back? And what’s the deal with New York’s aggressive refrigerant phase-out?

Cool Air, Hot Takes is a Trane podcast that breaks down the biggest innovations in HVAC, energy, and building technology with bold opinions, and lots of hot takes.

In this episode, we cover:

• HVAC Headlines: A refrigerant Ponzi scheme in St Louis and how DeepSeek AI is raising questions around the future of data center energy demand.
• Why refrigerant destruction matters and how it affects HVAC pros
• How refrigerants are phased out and what comes next
• The biggest challenges in refrigerant recovery, reclamation, and disposal
• The refrigerants still sitting in old systems - ticking time bombs or just good inventory?
• The push for ultra-low GWP refrigerants and what’s really viable

Got a hot take, question or rant? Send them to [email protected] and check out the show page here.

Follow and stream all episodes now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How is air conditioner compressor and bearing technology evolving? And is the HVAC industry ready for what’s next?

In this episode, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry sit down with Joe Heger, Centrifugal Mechanical Engineering Leader at Trane, to break down the past, present and future of AC compressor and bearing technology. They discuss how these advancements are improving performance, reliability, and efficiency, and what HVAC pros need to know as the industry shifts toward electrification and decarbonization.

Cool Air, Hot Takes is a Trane podcast that breaks down the biggest innovations in HVAC, energy, and building technology with bold opinions, and lots of hot takes.

In this episode we cover:

• HVAC Headlines - The latest grid emissions data reveals the cleanest and dirtiest U.S. power grids, and the world’s first grid-scale nuclear fusion power plant has been announced - what does it mean for the future of energy and HVAC?
• Why centrifugal compressors are pushing into new capacity ranges
• The real difference between magnetic, roller, and gas bearings
• How electrification is changing compressor design

Plus, Charlie and Dan discuss Project Stargate, heat recovery from data centers, and why the U.S. dominates the global data center market.

Got a rant, hot take, or HVAC job site story? Send it to [email protected] - we'd love to hear from you!

Check out our show page here for more info!

Follow and stream all episodes now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.