A growing trend among data center operators is the strategic placement of CDUs within the facility’s ‘grey space’, including corridors and plant rooms, rather than directly adjacent to server racks. This approach offers greater spatial flexibility and opens up new possibilities for design optimization. While in-row CDU configurations continue to attract interest, the skid-mounted design is gaining traction due to its open architecture, which allows for easier access during maintenance. Though it occupies a larger footprint, the skid design supports a higher component density, enabling enhanced redundancy and reliability across cooling systems.

"We’re seeing operators rethink traditional layouts to unlock greater efficiency and resilience," said Richard Burcher, product manager at Airedale by Modine. "By relocating CDUs to less congested areas of the data center, they’re not only improving accessibility for maintenance but also future-proofing their infrastructure with scalable, high-redundancy solutions."

Airedale by Modine CDUs are equipped with integrated intelligent controls that enable networking of up to eight units, boosting capacity and providing a scalable solution that adapts to growing demand. The unit controls are fully compatible with site-wide building management systems (BMS) for smooth integration. Built on the Redfish protocol, these units proactively communicate early fault signals to the BMS, enabling ‘handshake permission’ before initiating any switchover, ensuring optimal uptime and site-wide coordination. 

Maintenance is simplified with a dedicated ‘maintenance mode’, allowing filters to be cleaned and pumps serviced safely without interrupting operation, provided all safety protocols are correctly followed.