Johnson Controls expects more data center operators to adopt cloud-connected chiller systems as concerns surrounding cybersecurity and data management continue to ease, company executives said during Data Center World last month.
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The company has equipped its chillers with onboard connectivity for years, but many hyperscale and enterprise customers have traditionally opted to keep cooling systems on-premises due to concerns over network security, data ownership and intellectual property protections.
“We’ve actually cleared that [security] hurdle,” Aaron Lewis, chief commercial officer for Johnson Controls’ global data center solutions business, told Facilities Dive. “With the hyperscalers we’ve worked with, [security] has not been a problem…. We don’t really worry about traffic coming in and out — and that’s generally the highest concern.”
Lewis said questions surrounding where operational data is stored and who controls it have also slowed adoption of connected systems.
“You get into IP discussions,” Lewis said. “I think they’re very interested in the data, but there’s not a good model that’s emerged yet to make it work for both sides. That’s going to come, though.”
Johnson Controls said cloud-connected chillers can provide real-time operational monitoring and predictive maintenance capabilities that improve performance while reducing emergency service calls.
The data generated by chillers helps operators optimize cooling efficiency whether the system remains onsite or connected remotely. However, connected systems also allow original equipment manufacturers and service providers to monitor equipment health proactively.
“When you connect into the cloud [you get] real-time observation so you can … check on the overall performance as it’s running,” Lewis said. “We can see the problem before it happens, order the parts and be ready as soon as we need to get out there for a planned visit.”
The company said preventive maintenance has become increasingly important as the industry faces a shortage of skilled technicians capable of servicing sophisticated cooling infrastructure.
“It’s much more expensive and much harder to roll a truck in an emergency” than prevent problems through connected monitoring, Lewis added.
Johnson Controls is currently discussing a beta program with a large customer to test connected chiller systems at scale. Lewis said broader industry adoption could accelerate once large hyperscale operators embrace the technology.
“It just needs that one person,” he said. “The market needs one person to accept it. People will say, ‘Oh, it’s OK for those guys to put it in their [service level agreements]. The hyperscalers are supporting it.’”
The company continues investing heavily in cooling technologies as AI infrastructure and high-density computing accelerate demand for advanced thermal management systems.
Late last year, Johnson Controls launched its scalable Silent-Aire coolant distribution unit system designed to support data center cooling blocks ranging from 500 kilowatts to 10 megawatts.
The company also made a strategic investment in liquid cooling provider Accelsius to strengthen its position in the growing liquid cooling market.
Johnson Controls CEO Joakim Weidemanis previously described the Accelsius technology as part of the company’s effort to “deliver a comprehensive and integrated portfolio that addresses the full thermal management spectrum, from chip to ambient.”
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Katie McGinty, Johnson Controls’ vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer, said the company’s latest purpose-built data center chillers are 40% more energy efficient than systems commonly used just two years ago.
“It was basically repurposed room space cooling systems” that were being used before, McGinty told Facilities Dive.
She also noted the company’s cooling systems use 44% less space than previous systems, potentially helping reduce public concerns over noise and footprint impacts associated with new data center developments.
Johnson Controls is also exploring ways to capture and reuse waste heat generated by data centers to improve overall energy efficiency and potentially provide heat to neighboring facilities and communities.
“We can actually put that heat to work and that cuts the need of the electricity for the chillers, so it’s like a game changer,” McGinty said.
Originally reported by Robert Freedman, Lead Editor in Facilities Dive.
