Modular Data Centre Cooling Systems

Prefabricated and containerised data centres are complete IT facilities, including racks, power, cooling, and fire protection, built in a factory and delivered to site. Containerised data centre cooling is integrated into the enclosure.

Smart row and pod solutions combine racks, in-row cooling, containment, UPS, and monitoring into a single pre-engineered row or pod inside an existing building.

Micro data centres are self-contained racks or small enclosures with built-in cooling, power, and monitoring, which are ideal for branch offices, factories, and edge sites.

Scalable data centre cooling lets you invest in cooling capacity as IT load grows, rather than all at once.

Factory-built modules shorten design and installation time, enabling fast deployment of modular data centres.

Close-coupled and liquid cooling modules handle the high rack densities of modern servers, GPUs, and AI clusters.

Pre-engineered and factory-tested modules deliver consistent, predictable cooling performance.

Phased deployment reduces initial capital cost and aligns spending with business growth.

In-row cooling units placed between racks provide targeted, scalable cooling. Modular in-row cooling is ideal for high-density rows.

Pre-engineered rows and pods combine racks, in-row cooling, and containment for plug and play modular data centre deployment.

Enclosed racks with built-in cooling provide rack level cooling for micro and edge data centres.

A modular rear door heat exchanger, or RDHx, removes heat directly at the rack exhaust. It suits high-density racks.

Containerised data centres integrate DX or chilled water cooling within the container for rapid deployment anywhere.

Prefabricated air handling units and indirect evaporative cooling modules supply large volumes of cool air to data halls with significantly reduced compressor use. Where climate allows, free air cooling and evaporative cooling for data centres can lower energy use dramatically.

Factory-built chiller plants on skids provide scalable chilled water for data centres. Modules can be added as capacity needs grow, along with cooling towers for data centres where required.

A modular CDU, or coolant distribution unit, delivers liquid coolant to direct-to-chip cold plates in AI and HPC servers. Immersion cooling for data centres is another liquid cooling approach for very high densities.

Modern AI and GPU racks demand far more cooling per rack than traditional servers. High density modular data centre cooling uses in-row units, RDHx, and containment to manage these loads.

Direct to chip modular cooling circulates coolant through cold plates on processors, removing heat far more efficiently than air.

Most AI deployments combine liquid cooling for processors with air cooling for the remaining heat. When comparing modular air cooling vs liquid cooling, hybrid designs often deliver the best balance of performance and cost for modular AI data centre cooling.

Close-coupled units deliver cooling directly at the row or rack.

Containment systems separate hot and cold air within each pod.

Heat rejection equipment is sized for current and future capacity.

Pre-fabricated piping modules and manifolds simplify chilled water or refrigerant distribution.

Rack-level sensors and controllers enable precise, efficient operation.

Leak detection and fire suppression are integrated for safety and protection.

Modular data centre cooling design starts with today's IT load and a realistic growth roadmap.

Rack density cooling and kW per rack determine the type of cooling modules needed.

Modules are sized and phased to match IT deployment stages, defining modular data centre cooling capacity.

N+1 modular cooling or 2N redundancy keeps cooling running during failures or maintenance.

Condensers, dry coolers, chillers, or evaporative systems are selected based on scale, climate, and efficiency goals.

Data centre power and cooling must be planned together, along with space and structural needs for future modules.

Outdoor equipment is selected for local climate, including high ambient temperatures in Indian summers.

ASHRAE TC 9.9 publishes widely followed data centre cooling standards for IT environments.

For most IT equipment, the recommended data centre cooling temperature at rack inlet is 18°C to 27°C, with humidity controlled within recommended dew point limits and relative humidity of up to about 60%. Always check the latest guidelines and equipment requirements.

Short air paths reduce fan energy and air mixing.

Modular data centre airflow management with hot aisle containment or cold aisle containment raises efficiency and eliminates hot spots.

EC fans and inverter compressors match cooling to IT load.

Modular data centre free cooling uses cool outdoor conditions to cut compressor energy. Free cooling in data centres is one of the most effective ways to reduce energy use.

Operating at higher recommended temperatures improves chiller and compressor efficiency.

Energy efficient modular data centre cooling helps achieve a low PUE modular data centre by reducing cooling energy relative to IT load.

Sensors at each rack provide accurate, real-time conditions.

Cooling modules work together, sharing load and responding to failures automatically.

Modular data centre DCIM and modular data centre BMS integration provide full visibility of cooling, power, and IT.

Remote monitoring sends instant alerts for temperature, leaks, and equipment faults.

Add cooling modules only when needed.

Factory-built modules reduce on-site work and timelines.

Phased investment reduces upfront spending.

Close-coupled cooling and containment improve efficiency.

Modular cooling handles GPU rack cooling and HPC data centre cooling needs.

Modular edge data centre cooling suits remote and space-limited sites.

Containerised and prefabricated modules can be relocated or expanded easily.

For very large, fully built-out facilities, traditional central plants may cost less per kW.

Some modular systems are designed around specific vendor ecosystems.

Space for future modules, piping, and heat rejection must be planned from the start.

Close-coupled cooling brings water or refrigerant near IT, requiring leak detection and careful installation.

Compress India designs modular systems to manage these limitations and keep future expansion simple.

Enterprises use modular cooling to grow IT capacity in phases.

A modular colocation data centre adds cooling as tenants move in.

Edge data centre cooling supports compact, distributed sites.

Modular data centre cooling for AI servers handles high rack densities with air and liquid cooling.

Banks use modular solutions for reliable, redundant IT cooling.

Telecom operators deploy modular cooling at network and 5G sites.

Hospitals use modular data centres for critical healthcare systems.

Government and defence facilities use modular solutions for secure, rapid deployment.

Factories use micro data centres and modular cooling for industrial IT.

Universities and research centres use modular cooling for HPC and research computing. For the largest deployments, modular hyperscale data centre cooling and multi MW modular data centre cooling scale to very high capacities.

Vertiv offers modular and prefabricated data centre solutions, including in-row cooling, smart rows, and integrated cooling modules.

Schneider Electric offers modular data centre cooling, including in-row and pod-based solutions. Schneider cooling for data centres is widely used across India.

STULZ offers modular precision cooling and data centre thermal management solutions.

Rittal offers rack-based cooling and modular data centre solutions.

Delta Electronics offers modular data centre infrastructure, including cooling and power solutions.

Other providers, including Nortek, offer data centre cooling solutions. Compress India recommends the best-fit brand for your project.

Scheduled maintenance covers inspections, cleaning, testing, and performance checks.

Filters, coils, and fans are maintained for optimal airflow and cooling.

Refrigerant charge, chilled water flow, and temperatures are checked regularly.

Sensors are calibrated and controller software updated.

Remote monitoring and round-the-clock support ensure fast response to issues.

Causes: insufficient cooling capacity or airflow issues.

Solution: Add cooling modules, RDHx, or liquid cooling, and improve containment.

Causes: cooling unit failure, blocked airflow, or increased load.

Solution: Check units, clear airflow paths, and review capacity.

Causes: gaps, open doors, or missing blanking panels.

Solution: Seal gaps and install blanking panels.

Causes: component wear, refrigerant issues, or electrical faults.

Solution: Repair or replace components. Redundancy maintains cooling during repairs.

Causes: pipe joints, condensate issues, or CDU faults.

Solution: Repair leaks and verify leak detection.

Causes: network or configuration issues.

Solution: Check network connections and reconfigure monitoring systems.

Additional modules can be added with minimal disruption.

CDUs and direct-to-chip liquid cooling can be added for AI and GPU racks.

Existing server rooms can be upgraded to modular pods with in-row cooling and containment.

Free cooling options can be added to reduce energy use.

Cost is typically assessed per rack or per kW of cooling. Higher densities and liquid cooling increase cost per rack but improve space utilisation.

Micro data centres cost the least overall, smart rows and pods sit in the middle, and containerised solutions include full infrastructure.

Piping, heat rejection, containment, power, controls, and commissioning form part of the total cost.

Brand, capacity, density, redundancy, heat rejection type, liquid cooling, and site conditions all affect the final price.

Share your IT load and growth plans with Compress India to receive an accurate quotation.