Johnson Controls creates platform for sustainable future

Johnson Controls has announced an industry-first hyperscale data center platform intended to assist cloud providers in meeting ambitious sustainability goals.

The Johnson Controls Data Centre Solutions platform offers new ways to conserve water and reduce energy consumption, such as air-cooled chillers, liquid cooling, combination air handler units, future-ready refrigerants and prefabricated modular data centers.

Additionally, the platform strengthens the company's existing Silent-Aire solutions, which Johnson Controls says provide hyperscale data centers with custom cooling equipment and modular data center technologies vital to the requirements of their workloads.

"Through its Data Centre Solutions platform, Johnson Controls is offering something unique and valuable to global hyperscale companies," Johnson Controls Data Centre Solutions vice president Lindsey Leckelt says.

"Johnson Controls is the first to provide innovative digital technologies combined with standard and bespoke cooling equipment and modular data center solutions that optimise energy consumption and water usage.

"We have the experience and capability to deliver these solutions as global integrated programs at-scale to our hyperscale partners," Leckelt adds.

Johnson Controls notes that mission-critical data center operations usually require significant amounts of water and energy for cooling, and hyperscale server rack power density is expected to double as soon as 2023.

As a result, many cloud providers are prioritising investments that improve their environmental sustainability and making climate pledges specific to decarbonisation.

Citing a 2021 survey that the company did in collaboration with Forrester Consulting, the findings indicate that almost 50% of data center decision-makers intend to reduce consumption across their portfolio by at least half by approximately 2024.

Johnson Controls adds that its Silent-Aire solutions are uniquely positioned to help date centers meet these targets.

The company elaborates on its Silent-Aire solutions, explaining that it has been focused on finding practical ways to assist hyperscale customers in their response to these challenges.

Through Silent-Aire, Johnson Controls has established itself as a leading provider in the industry.

As a result, the company is expected to support one of the fastest-growing segments of the technology industry as it takes on and solves environmental challenges.

"We're thinking beyond singular projects; we're investing in ongoing partnerships," Johnson Controls Data Centre Solutions vice president and general manager Maik Bohlmann says.

"We're carefully listening to our customers, and we're best positioned to support them as they redefine data centers and their energy profiles.

"From innovative technologies to continuous support through the lifecycle of their progress, it's as much a revolution in our approach as it is an evolution of design for the data centers."

The Data Centre Solutions platform is backed by Johnson Controls's own commitment to sustainability, having reduced its energy and greenhouse gas intensity by 70% since 2002.

The company also serves customers in the healthcare, schools, airports, stadiums, and manufacturing industries through its digital offering, OpenBlue.

Moreover, it has a global team of 100,000 in more than 150 countries and offers a significant portfolio of building technology, software, and service solutions with some of the most trusted names in the industry.