To drive liquid cooling innovation for data centres, Johnson Controls has announced a multi-million-dollar strategic investment in Accelsius, a company specialising in two-phase, direct-to-chip liquid cooling technology. This move marks a significant step in the evolution of sustainable and efficient data centre cooling, an increasingly critical area for the physical security industry as reliance on AI, cloud platforms, and data-driven systems continues to grow.
For the security sector, where vast amounts of video and analytic data must be processed and stored reliably, efficient cooling is vital. Modern security operations centres, video management systems, and cloud-based analytics all depend on data centres capable of handling high-power workloads. As artificial intelligence and machine learning models underpin more sophisticated threat detection and surveillance tools, cooling innovation has become a front-line imperative to ensure stability, reduce operational costs, and align with sustainability targets.
Accelsius’ two-phase technology leverages a “phase change” process—from liquid to vapour—to remove heat directly from high-performance chips. This approach enhances energy efficiency while significantly reducing water use and overall power consumption. “With power-dense AI workloads, data centres are moving to liquid cooling,” said Josh Claman, CEO of Accelsius. “Our two-phase, direct-to-chip cooling solutions use non-conductive fluids in efficient loops to stay ahead of the demanding power-dense AI and HPC workloads. This technology enables 35% operational expenditure savings over single-phase direct-to-chip and between 8% and 17% total cost of ownership savings.”
Austin Domenici, vice president and general manager of Johnson Controls Global Data Center Solutions, highlighted the importance of this investment in addressing the escalating cooling demands of AI infrastructure. “With the sharp growth in AI, cooling innovation has become a front-line imperative to meet the increasing demands of high-density data centres,” he said. “Leveraging our leading capabilities, our mission is to drive the industry forward to unlock new levels of energy efficiency across the cooling chain.”
Johnson Controls has already established itself as a key player in sustainable data centre technology. Its YORK® YVAM magnetic bearing chiller consumes 40% less power annually than comparable systems and uses no on-site water, underscoring its commitment to reducing environmental impact. This technology earned the company a place on Fortune’s “Change the World” list and recognition from ABI Research as a top innovator and industry leader.
The company’s Silent-Aire Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) platform further extends its thermal management portfolio, offering scalable cooling capacities from 500kW to over 10MW. Designed for flexibility, these systems can be tailored to meet the needs of diverse data centre environments. According to Johnson Controls, implementing its full range of thermal management solutions can improve total facility efficiency and reduce non-IT energy consumption by more than 50% in most North American data centre hubs.
This latest investment reinforces Johnson Controls’ commitment to innovation and sustainability, while addressing one of the most pressing challenges in data infrastructure—balancing performance, energy efficiency, and environmental responsibility. As data centre density and power demands continue to rise, such advances are set to play a pivotal role in supporting the future of connected, intelligent, and secure environments.