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Cool Air, Hot Takes

Trane
Data Centers
HVAC
Liquid Cooling
Trane
Private Equity
Energy Efficiency
Supply Chain Management
AI Factories
Decarbonization
HVAC Industry
Sustainability
Building Information Modeling
Acoustics
Electrification
Trane Technologies
Technician Shortage
Vocational Training
Heat Pump Technology
Air Cooling
Renewable Energy

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 exper... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes26Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EducationTechnology

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Artwork for Cool Air, Hot Takes

Latest Episodes

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 origi... more

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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... more

YouTube

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 ... more

YouTube

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,... more

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Recent Guests

Kris Gagermeier
Instructor and long-time participant in Trane's Graduate Training Program (GTP)
Trane Commercial
Episode: Inside Trane's 100-Year HVAC Training Legacy
Matt Caldwell
Director of AI and Cloud Data Centers at Hyper
Hyper
Episode: The AI Race: HVAC's Biggest Stress Test
Mike Dawson
VP of Sales at Parklane Mechanical
Parklane Mechanical
Episode: Quiet By Design: Mike Dawson on Noise Control Innovation
Allison Clements
Mechanical project engineer with Design Engineers
Design Engineers
Episode: Electrification, CDUs, Data Centers: The Hottest Takeaways from AHR 2026
Ray Reiling
Carbon offset project developer focusing on end-of-life refrigerants
Trade Water
Episode: Electrification, CDUs, Data Centers: The Hottest Takeaways from AHR 2026
David Bishop
Partner at Twin Bishop Strategies (former Trane executive)
Twin Bishop Strategies
Episode: Electrification, CDUs, Data Centers: The Hottest Takeaways from AHR 2026
Conrad Bishop
Co-founder at Twin Bishop Strategies, former Trane executive
Twin Bishop Strategies
Episode: Electrification, CDUs, Data Centers: The Hottest Takeaways from AHR 2026
Spencer Ingaldson
Chief Development Officer at Darcy Solutions
Darcy Solutions
Episode: Electrification, CDUs, Data Centers: The Hottest Takeaways from AHR 2026
Mobola Dosumu
National Sales Manager for Heat Pumps at Everllence
Everllence
Episode: District Energy Heat Pumps: Bigger, Hotter, Cleaner

Hosts

Charlie Jelen
HVAC/building systems expert with a focus on sustainable solutions and complex problem solving.
Dan Gentry
Applications Engineer with expertise in chiller plants, heat recovery, and energy-efficient system design.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 87 ratings
  • Great Job

    Great job guys. Love the chemistry and the pace. Not easy to keep HVAC interesting, but you did a nice job.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ma234ran567
    United Statesa year ago
  • Make HVAC fun again

    Super engaging and fun podcast that keeps even the non-tech listeners like me interested!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ba_pa
    United Statesa year ago
  • Amazing

    Great podcast. Love the back and forth between Charlie and Dan. Looking forward to more from them!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KBRock223
    United Statesa year ago
  • Smart and funny

    A great podcast to stay up to date on the latest hvac trends!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Chilly mcfreeze-a-lot
    United Statesa year ago
  • Edge of Greatness

    The best way to keep up on what’s happening in the HVAC space.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ActivitySales
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great energy and chemistry between hosts is a strength.
Guests bring deep technical insights that are easy to follow.
Content balances technical depth with engaging banter and practical tips.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The AI Race: HVAC's Biggest Stress Test
Q: What do you guys do?
Hyper designs, engineers, and produces their own equipment but relies on a network of satellite manufacturing partners to provide capacity; they maintain strict quality control and can customize designs to fit unique configurations, with highly elastic production capacity.
The Future of HVAC Techs
Q: What does a day in the life of a technician look like?
Zach explained that technicians maintain equipment, perform start-ups, and respond to service calls, always adapting to new challenges.
The Future of HVAC Techs
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges that our industry is facing on the technician front?
Zach emphasized that the number one challenge is the availability and numbers of technicians, highlighting the decline in trade schools.
Data Centers: Hot Servers, Cool Solutions
Q: What do you think is the future of cooling technology in data centers?
There may be a shift towards rear-door heat exchangers and close-coupled air-cooling, which might be safer compared to liquid cooling methods.
Data Centers: Hot Servers, Cool Solutions
Q: What do you think one of the hurdles to siting data centers is?
Latency is a major driver for site acquisition, but there are also the challenges of real estate development and friendly municipal regulations.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Cool Air, Hot Takes

What is Cool Air, Hot Takes about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Chronicling practical HVAC engineering, building systems, and data-center cooling, this show blends technical depth with candid industry banter. Episodes frequently cover trends in AI-assisted design, energy efficiency, sustainability, and real-world challenges contractors and engineers face, with a strong emphasis on training, problem-solving, and the human side of field work. Notable strengths include accessible yet technically robust conversations, guest insights from industry veterans and technology leaders, and a branded, pragmatic approach that keeps complex topics approachable for engineers, contractors, and building teams alike.

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Which podcasts are similar to Cool Air, Hot Takes?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Cool Air, Hot Takes:

1. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
2. People I (Mostly) Admire
3. Barron's Streetwise
4. Wall Street Breakfast
5. Freakonomics Radio

How many episodes of Cool Air, Hot Takes are there?

Cool Air, Hot Takes launched a year ago and published 26 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Cool Air, Hot Takes?

Recent guests on Cool Air, Hot Takes include:

1. Kris Gagermeier
2. Matt Caldwell
3. Mike Dawson
4. Allison Clements
5. Ray Reiling
6. David Bishop
7. Conrad Bishop
8. Spencer Ingaldson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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