Johnson Controls has released an Absorption Chiller Reference Design Guide aimed at data centre operators running on-site power generation, as the sector faces rising electricity demand driven by AI workloads.
The company cited Gartner projections that global data centre electricity consumption and power demand will rise by 26% and 27% respectively in 2026, increasing pressure on power grids.
According to Johnson Controls, the guide outlines how data centre operators can use heat typically lost from on-site generation for cooling via absorption chillers. The company said up to 57% of energy from on-site power generation is commonly lost as waste heat, and that converting this heat into cooling could reduce cooling-related electrical demand by up to 44%.
In an example based on a “modeled” 1GW-scale AI Factory, Johnson Controls said the approach could support up to 97MW of additional AI computing capacity without increasing on-site generation. It also estimated the additional capacity could generate up to US$18 billion in revenue over the life of a facility, based on what it described as a typical US AI Factory model.
“One of the biggest untapped opportunities in data centers is the heat they generate,” said Austin Domenici, president, Global Data Center Solutions, Johnson Controls. “Johnson Controls helps transform recovered heat into useful work through Combined Heat and Power and absorption cooling solutions, enabling AI Factories to scale more efficiently while reducing strain on the grid and delivering value to local communities.”
The company said the reference design could also be used to reduce cooling system CO₂ emissions by up to 43%, and that it can achieve a power usage effectiveness (PUE) as low as 1.23 with zero on-site water use. Johnson Controls said the design is intended to be modular and repeatable, scaling from 100MW campuses to gigawatt-scale facilities without redesign, with the aim of bringing capacity online faster.
“A vast amount of heat produced by on-site power generators is essentially thrown away — dissipated into the air. We see a huge opportunity when that energy is put to work instead,” said Katie McGinty, vice president and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer, Johnson Controls. “By converting waste heat into useful cooling, we’re turning a resource already bought and paid for into an asset rather than a disposal liability. Every megawatt we can shift from cooling to computing capacity helps customers increase the revenue potential of their facilities and accelerates time to value by significantly cutting pressure on the grid. That’s the kind of innovation that supports AI growth, lowers costs and helps communities and businesses get more from existing energy resources.”
Johnson Controls said the results cited are illustrative and not guaranteed, noting that outcomes will vary depending on site-specific conditions.
