ASHRAE HVAC&R Industry News – September 3, 2026

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Shaping Tomorrow’s Global Built Environment Today

September 3, 2026

Cool Air, Hotter Planet: Air Conditioning’s Climate Catch-22
As the world warms, heat waves strike nearly every continent and United Nations officials estimate that about half a million people die a year from heat, air conditioning is needed and being used more than ever. A study in Nature Health reported that air conditioning saved nearly 58,000 lives between 2010 and 2020 in the U.S. Air conditioning use is skyrocketing around the world, with electricity demand from cooling expected to triple, according to the International Energy Agency and the United Nations Environment Programme. Read more

Related Headlines

GFCI Rule for Outdoor HVAC Equipment Hits Over 20 States

Did the China Shock Increase Air Conditioning Adoption?

Heat Pumps
California Passes First-of-Its-Kind Heat Pump Permitting Bill

California lawmakers are pursuing a novel approach to incentivize heat pump and heat pump water heater installs across the state by targeting the permitting process. Senate Bill 222 mandates cities and counties launch online permitting portals for heat pump installations, removes some permitting fees, voids HOA restrictions that ban or limit replacing a gas appliance with an electric one, and slashes local permit and inspection requirements for wall and window AC units. Read more

Image Credit: Getty Images

Related Headlines

Heat Pump-Carnot Battery System for Residential PV Storage

Air-Source Heat Pumps with Thermal Storage Cut Up-Front Costs by 29.7%

Indoor Air Quality
Scented Cleaning Products Linked to Indoor Air Pollution
Fragrances used in surface cleaners and disinfectants react with indoor ozone to form invisible nanoparticles at levels comparable to or higher than city traffic, according to research presented at the American Chemical Society fall meeting. The findings suggest that routine cleaning can generate ultrafine particle pollution that travels deep into the lungs. Read more

Related Headlines

HEPA Air Purifiers May Boost Brain Function After Just One Month

When Water Is Pulled from the Air in Homes, Pollutants Come with It

Power Grid
Order Bans Some Foreign Equipment from U.S. Grid, Citing National Security Threat
President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency and banning the use of some foreign equipment in the U.S. electricity grid. The order cites what the White House described as an “unusual and extraordinary foreign threat” posed by foreign-made bulk-power systems that may present national security vulnerabilities. Trump’s order follows a ⁠decision by the European Commission earlier this year to ban Chinese-made inverters from publicly funded energy projects. Read more

Related Headlines

The Great Solar-Coal Flip: Rewiring Our Power Grid

The UK Power Grid Has a Phantom Data Center Problem

Hot Air Podcast
Data Centers And The Water-Energy Nexus With Raven Jones
Join Rebecca Norris and Raven Jones as they discuss water use in data centers, accountability and why a framework for data center water stewardship is essential.

Listen

In Other News

Can Light Fool the Body into Feeling Warmer or Cooler? A New Study Says Yes

Ultrathin Films Turn Low-Grade Heat into Cooling Without Electric Motor

Inca Storehouse Complex with Ancient Ventilation System Discovered in Peru

ASHRAE Journal

Feature of the Week
What’s in a Name?
By Andy Pearson, Ph.D., C.Eng.
Few global institutions are so familiar that they are better known than the person whose name they bear. Take, for example, New York City’s Carnegie Hall, named for 19th century industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Or The Guggenheim Museum, named for Solomon Guggenheim, who founded the Yukon Gold Co. and began collecting art in the 1890s. The Herrick Laboratories at Purdue University are famous in the HVAC&R world, renowned for research and development. But how did trained toolmaker Ray W. Herrick become synonymous with engineering excellence? Download hereAccess more ASHRAE Journal articles through the Technology Portal.

ASHRAE News

Have You Played the New HVAC Hero Game?
Test your HVAC problem-solving skills by playing the new HVAC Hero game! See how many kWh you can save as you navigate the building with your new friend, Muggy. HVAC Hero was developed as part of the new Society Theme “Changing the Game: Retrofitting for Resilience” introduced by Sarah E. Maston, 2026-27 Society President. Learn more about the game and download to play on your computer at ashrae.org/hvachero.

Products

In Case You Missed It

Energy News
Thousands of Wind & Solar Projects Lost Tax Credits as Deadline Passes
Thousands of wind and solar projects lost access to federal tax credits when they missed a July 4, 2026, construction deadline. The deadline was set by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025, reshaping how the federal government incentivizes renewable energy. Read more

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