Johnson Controls launches air-cooled chillers in Europe
Author: Simon Rowley
Johnson Controls, an expert in smart, safe, healthy and sustainable buildings, has expanded the availability of its YORK range of YVAM air-cooled magnetic bearing chillers to Europe to meet the growing demand in the data centre industry.
As the European data centre market experiences significant growth driven by AI and cloud computing, the YVAM is a crucial thermal management technology for hyperscale and colocation facilities, Johnson Controls tells us. Designed to accelerate deployment with an innovative, scalable and consistent platform, the YVAM also plays a role in ensuring compliance with the new European Union policy on energy efficiency and water conservation.
“As data storage demand rises and chip density increases, data centres face increasing challenges with cooling technologies, including broader temperature ranges, reduced energy and water use, noise reduction and limited space,” says Johnson Controls President of Data Centre Solutions, Todd Grabowski. “At Johnson Controls, we work with our customers to offer solutions that enable data centres to scale rapidly, operate efficiently, minimise resource use and maintain reliability in a quickly changing landscape.”
The YORK YVAM chiller consumes 40% less power annually while still delivering the same cooling capacity as other available products. In addition, YVAM offers the widest operating range, allowing for chiller operation from -29°C up to +55°C ambient temperature while producing chilled water temperatures between +15°C up to 30°C. This allows complete flexibility to use the same cooling infrastructure regardless of the cooling technology ranging from cold air aisles to immersion cooling or direct liquid cooling.
Further features and benefits include:
• Operates with zero water use on site, supporting the growing importance of water usage effectiveness (WUE) and the conservation of water.
• Utilises ultra-low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant.
• Leverages Johnson Controls proprietary magnetic-bearing technology, variable-speed drives and active front-end technology to maximise efficiency while eliminating the need for free cooling coils.
• Produces notably less sound than screw chillers, operating at just 65 dBA at 10 metres – equivalent to the noise level of background music at a restaurant.
• The lubrication-free design further simplifies the system by eliminating complex subsystems and reducing maintenance costs.
• To ensure uninterrupted operations, the YVAM incorporates Quick Start technology with an integral emergency power management system, enabling the chiller to return to full load in as little as three minutes after a power interruption.
• The YVAM is designed in-house and built using flagship York technologies.
• It’s designed to be a flexible platform that allows for easy inspection and service.
“With its innovative design and industry-leading efficiency, YVAM is set to redefine thermal management in data centres across the region,” Todd continues. “We’ve already seen great success for this technology in the North American market and we’re excited to partner with our European customers as the AI and data centre demand rapidly develops.”
Johnson Controls offers a wide range of air-cooled and water-cooled chillers as well as air handling units, all designed to meet the needs of hyperscale and colocation customers. These products are supported by a comprehensive suite of fire, safety, building automation and digitally connected services.
In June 2024, Johnson Controls launched a dedicated Global Data Centre Solutions organisation to address the industry’s rapid growth. Since then, the company has boosted capacity in key regions to meet market demand and reduce lead times. This specialised organisation allows Johnson Controls to provide consistent, high-quality, centralised solutions across the globe, while also adapting to the unique needs of North America, EMEA and APAC, ensuring smooth and reliable support for data centre operators worldwide.
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