From Hawaii to Maine, rising utility rates are making summer heatwaves incredibly expensive. Faced with fluctuating energy markets and unexpected rate jumps, the average resident can no longer afford to leave their air conditioning system on autopilot. To pinpoint exactly where operating an AC unit will inflict the most damage on a household budget, a new analysis looked at everything from local electricity rates to how many homes run central air to rank the most expensive states for summer cooling. Read more
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Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta are teaming up with a nonprofit investor to accelerate new technologies using data centers as test cases. The initiative, led by Elemental Impact, is among the clearest attempts yet to turn the massive buildout of AI infrastructure into a proving ground for new technologies rather than just a new source of emissions. Those technologies include advanced cooling, energy storage and low-carbon building materials. Read more
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A research team at City University of Hong Kong has successfully developed a bio-inspired "all-weather building skin" that cools in sunlight and harvests energy from rain, alongside a "turbocharged" solar hydrogen system powered by low-cost copper ions. This technology enables building envelopes—including roofs and walls—to harness free natural resources to achieve both energy savings and electricity generation under changing weather conditions. Read more
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A bill in Massachusetts would create a framework for a geothermal utility, with the aim of heating and cooling buildings cleanly and affordably. The legislation would establish the existence of a thermal commons, in which access to geothermal energy is shared among a community with no exclusive private ownership. It would also create a commission that would hone that definition and answer key questions about thermal energy access, prohibited drilling locations, and where private landowners' thermal rights begin and end. Read more
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Join host Matt Price and guest Nathan Kegel as they discuss load calculations, how they tie into evolving ASHRAE standards, and practical takeaways to optimize projects and avoid oversizing equipment.
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By Henry Odum, Shawn Oram
The 2020–2022 renovation of the 1910 Portland Galleria building incorporates four stories of offices over ground floor retail as a tale of two parts. First is core & shell renovation, focusing on historic preservation, embodied carbon savings and deep green energy conservation via elimination of fossil-gas and decentralized HVAC design. Second is a tenant improvement project to transform the 3,716 m2 (40,000 ft2) top floor into an example of an adaptable and resilient office space through dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) and advanced central controls. Download here
Access more ASHRAE Journal articles through the Technology Portal.
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ASHRAE released its technical program for its 2026 Annual Conference, taking place June 27–July 1 in Austin, Texas. The conference will bring together industry professionals, researchers and practitioners from around the world for a week of knowledge-sharing, technical exploration, professional development and peer engagement. The complete schedule is now available online and through ASHRAE 365, enabling attendees to build personalized conference itineraries in advance. Read more
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The Trump administration last week loosened federal rules requiring grocery stores and air-conditioning companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cooling equipment, a step that the president said would help lower grocery costs. The move to relax the Biden-era rules on harmful pollutants known as hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, emitted by refrigerators and other appliances was the latest attempt before pivotal elections in November to try to address rising voter concerns over the cost of living. Read more
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