Air-Cooled Chillers Are Back in Data Centers, and They Mean Business
After years of chasing the attractive efficiency numbers offered by water-based evaporative systems, many data center providers are giving air-cooled chillers a second look.
It’s no secret that data centers require a lot of energy. The main driver of data center design engineers’ work is to provide energy-efficient, reliable, and cost-competitive HVAC systems. Retail data centers challenge the design community to minimize capital and operational costs while optimizing efficiency. If too much money is spent to achieve efficiency, then lease rates will not be competitive. If not enough energy efficiency is provided, then tenants will look elsewhere. Striking a balance between efficiency and cost is a challenge the data center industry faces daily.
After years of chasing the attractive efficiency numbers offered by water-based evaporative systems, many data center providers are giving air-cooled chillers a second look. The latest commercial chiller equipment offers competitive energy performance, proven reliability, and integral controls in a modular package without the need for water.