As we enter 2026 and prepare for our industry's biggest annual tradeshow, AHR Expo, which coincides next month with ASHRAE's Winter Conference in Las Vegas, there is palpable anxiety in the air on multiple fronts.

The daily assault of dizzying headlines and unprecedented news has left many of us unsettled and uncertain about the road ahead. But for our industry at least, there is still considerable optimism for 2026. Here, HPAC Editor Rob McManamy reviews some of the latest industry developments to offer another quick take on where the economy seems to be headed this month...