Fall 2025 NorCal Field Trip

Eighteen ASHRAE Club members, as well as advisor Lauren Rueda, traveled to the San Jose area to learn about the HVAC&R industry. The first stop was the ASHRAE San Jose Chapter Student Night, which included a presentation from past presidents of the chapter, advice from industry professionals to current students, and plenty of time to network. Many Cal Poly alumni were also in attendance and gave advice to the students about their lessons learned.

The next morning started early with a presentation about data center design at Therma and a tour of the on-site shops. Students learned about the impacts of data center expansion on the HVAC&R industry as well as about some specific considerations when designing and manufacturing HVAC&R systems for data centers.

In the afternoon the group went to DMG where the discussion centered on sustainability in the HVAC&R industry, including an overview of refrigerants and the refrigeration cycle. After this initial overview the group was able to tour the DMG Decarbonization Training Center and see a CO2 heat pump in action.

The student group, comprised of first through fifth year students as well as new transfers, was able to make new contacts in the HVAC&R industry and learn about the various career paths open to them after graduation. They also learned about the key role that HVAC&R is playing in two important current issues – AI/data centers and sustainability.