Chillers and Towers

Cooling Without Water Chillers

chrisgray@achrnews.com (Chris Gray) — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:00:00 -0500

Stocks for major HVAC companies fell with claims of a new system that can be cooled with no water chillers.

Nvidia’s Vera Rubin Has Chilling Effect on HVAC Industry

chrisgray@achrnews.com (Chris Gray) — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 14:30:00 -0500

When Nvidia’s CEO said the company’s latest AI system could be cooled with hot water and no chillers, investors reacted quickly. Shares of several HVAC manufacturers fell sharply, underscoring how closely tied the industry’s growth has become to data center cooling assumptions.

Powering the Cloud: The Insulation Driving Data Center Efficiency

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Data centers facilities generate immense heat and require vast networks of chilled water piping and ductwork that require high performing insulation solutions.

What’s Hot in Commercial Chillers

mattjachman@achrnews.com (Matt Jachman) — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:00:00 -0400

Refrigerant regulations apply to chillers as well as to residential HVAC products, and manufacturers have come up with versatile, efficient, and connected equipment.

Seasonal Layup vs. Mothballing: Key Differences You Need to Know

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 07:00:00 -0400

Boilers and cooling towers often go offline, but the way you prepare them makes all the difference.

Preparing For Emerging Cybersecurity Attacks Against Chillers

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 07:00:00 -0500

When it comes to this piece of critical infrastructure, operators need to be prepared to face new and sophisticated attacks.

A Capital Cost and Energy Saving Approach to Chilled Water HVAC with Zero Emissions Potential

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 14:00:00 -0400

The proposed new approach to chilled water HVAC systems promises to provide significant capital cost savings, energy cost savings, and a path to eliminate CO₂ emissions.

Don’t Let the Massive Emergence of Cicadas Bug Your Cooling Tower Performance

Wed, 08 May 2024 14:00:00 -0400

With a double brood of cicadas forecasted to awaken, now is the time to prepare for how to deal with the mess they will leave behind and the potential damage they can do to equipment.

Changes in Chiller Use

mattjachman@achrnews.com (Matt Jachman) — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Chillers are being used as heat pumps, outfitted with heat-recovery systems, used in building electrification projects, and installed in arrays to cool data centers.

HDPE Cooling Tower Makes the Grade

Sat, 02 Dec 2023 07:00:00 -0500

A North Carolina-based community college replaces an aging metal-clad cooling tower with a modern HDPE unit, reducing maintenance spending while increasing efficiency.

How Low-Temperature Absorption Chillers Can Optimize Food and Beverage Processing

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0400

By splitting the absorption process into two steps, lithium bromide solution concentrations are lower in the system, enabling lower hot water temperatures within the generator, lower hot water flow rates, and the elimination of crystallization risk within the chiller.

Space-Saving Chillers

mattjachman@achrnews.com (Matt Jachman) — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 11:00:00 -0400

In addition to taking up less space, smaller chillers can be more easily installed, weigh less, and pose fewer shipping, rigging, and building-construction challenges. They can also be more energy efficient, with the same or even greater cooling capacity.

Project Files: Episode 63 — University of Cincinnati Chiller Upgrade

mariataylor@achrnews.com (Maria Taylor) — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 11:00:00 -0400

Like many universities across America, the University of Cincinnati faced a major infrastructure challenge: having to operate aging central utility plants with older technology.

Johnson Controls, Constellation Strike Solar Energy Pact

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:00:00 -0400

Constellation’s Offsite Renewables Plus (CORe+) retail power product, combined with Johnson Controls’ commitment to renewables, is supporting the development of two new Welcome Solar renewable energy facilities.

Chillers Go Green With Low-GWP Refrigerants

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0400

Manufacturers are offering low-GWP refrigerant alternatives, as EPA is proposing a 700 GWP limit for most new comfort cooling chillers starting in 2025.

HVAC Solutions Help Data Centers Achieve Sustainability

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 11:00:00 -0400

The rapid expansion of data centers has raised concerns about their massive energy use and carbon footprint. However, adopting sustainable HVAC solutions can reduce a data center’s environmental impact and energy consumption.

Open-Loop Cooling Towers or Closed-Circuit Coolers?

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Despite their similar exterior appearance, cooling towers and closed-circuit coolers are very different pieces of equipment with distinct advantages and limitations. This is especially true when determining which option is best suited for a specific cooling application.

Increased Efficiency Helps Drive Commercial Market

Thu, 18 May 2023 07:00:00 -0400

Michael Daly, chief technology officer, ECM Technologies, offers insights into the HVAC commercial market.

Cooling Chillers: A Primer

mattjachman@achrnews.com (Matt Jachman) — Mon, 01 May 2023 11:00:00 -0400

Chillers use the principles of thermodynamics to remove heat from a conditioned space. But “chiller” is a broad term that encompasses system configurations, refrigeration technologies, and methods of rejecting captured heat. Experts take a closer look.

Project Files: Episode 58 — HVAC Treatment Keeps Art Museum Cool

mariataylor@achrnews.com (Maria Taylor) — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0400

The city of Phoenix sought an energy-efficient HVAC solution that would restore Phoenix Art Museum’s lost efficiency and improve the indoor climate for the museum’s specialized environment while also contributing to the city’s energy conservation goals.

Creative Composites Group Acquires Enduro Composites

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Creative Composites Group's acquisition of Enduro will add to CCGs suite of manufacturing capabilities and geographic reach.

The Surprisingly Heavy Burden of Metal Coils

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Polymer elements in cooling towers — or entire towers made of composite materials, like Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) — can reduce the weight by up to 50%.

Paths to Energy, Environment Design Water Conservation Credits for Evaporative Cooling Towers

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0500

Although evaporative cooling is great at saving energy, it does consume some water, but the benefits on energy savings outweigh the water usage, which in some places is a scarce resource.

HVAC Chiller Offerings: A Product Roundup

bellolih@bnpmedia.com (Hannah Belloli-Oster) — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0400

A product round-up of chillers on the market.

Solar-powered Evaporative Cooling Tower to Reduce Energy Costs

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 11:07:21 -0400

Renewable energy enthusiasts now have reason to celebrate: EVAPCO offers a solar-powered evaporative cooling tower. The SUN cooling tower is paired with PV panels to dramatically reduce energy consumption.

Johnson Controls Named by Analysts as Leader in Connected Chillers

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 12:00:00 -0400

Johnson Controls has been recognized by independent analyst firm Frost & Sullivan with its Best Practices Customer Value Leadership Award for 2022.

Project Files: Episode 49 — Downtown Denver Rooftop Replacement

mariataylor@achrnews.com (Maria Taylor) — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0400

The cooling towers located on the roof of Granite Tower in Denver were meant to last 20 years. But at nearly 40 years, the cooling towers and fluid coolers were well past their life expectancy.

Demand for Evaporative Cooling Comes from Fast-Growing Markets

Wed, 11 May 2022 07:00:00 -0400

Evaporative cooling is growing in demand as cooling needs are expanding.

Bergdorf Goodman Store Installs Low-GWP Chillers

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 17:00:00 -0400

Trane Technologies and Neiman Marcus Group are collaborating to decarbonize the luxury retailer’s footprint through renewable energy, electrification, energy efficiency, and refrigerant management.

Heat Pumps: Their Role in Decarbonization

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0400

Across the country, state and local governments are mandating lower building emissions, pushing building owners to full electrification. Building codes and natural gas bans, however, only target new construction.