Author Archives: laschano

Labor Day weekend is a practical marker for commercial building operations in Southern California: it’s when facility teams start shifting their attention from cooling-load management to preparing systems for the shoulder season ahead. It doesn’t mean cooling demand drops off, our region routinely sees significant heat well into October, but it does mean fall maintenanceContinue reading “Labor Day Marks the Real Start of Commercial HVAC’s Fall Transition Season”

After several years of unpredictable lead times for commercial HVAC equipment, industry data suggests the supply picture is stabilizing. Compressors, control boards, and major system components that faced months-long backorders in prior years are generally more available now, and lead times for standard commercial rooftop units have shortened considerably from their peak. This is goodContinue reading “Supply Chain Normalization Is Bringing Equipment Lead Times Back Down”

What used to be considered a premium add-on for commercial HVAC systems, networked smart controls and remote monitoring, is increasingly the baseline expectation for new commercial installations. The shift is being driven by a combination of factors: falling hardware costs, utility incentive programs that favor demand-responsive systems, and building owners who have simply gotten usedContinue reading “Smart Building Controls Are Becoming the Standard, Not the Upgrade”

California’s Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards continue to tighten requirements around commercial HVAC performance, and the practical effect for building owners is that “like-for-like” equipment replacement is becoming less straightforward than it used to be. Depending on the scope of a project, a straightforward unit swap can now trigger additional requirements around controls, ventilation,Continue reading “Title 24 Energy Code Updates Are Reshaping Commercial HVAC Retrofits”

The EPA’s continued phasedown of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants under the AIM Act is entering a phase that commercial building owners can no longer treat as a future problem. Allowable production and import allowances for high-GWP refrigerants like R-410A continue to shrink, and the ripple effect is already visible: refrigerant costs remain elevated compared to justContinue reading “EPA’s Refrigerant Phasedown Reaches a New Milestone”