Vertiv and Compass Data centers have partnered to create an innovative cooling solution for modern data centers, which seamlessly switches between air and liquid cooling, meeting the growing demands of both traditional IT applications and high-density AI workloads.
The solution, known as the Vertiv™️ CoolPhase Flex, is a next-generation, high-efficiency system that combines refrigerant-based air-cooling technologies with liquid cooling capabilities in a single, integrated packaged system. Developed through close collaboration between engineers at Vertiv and Compass, the system provides flexibility for managing the diverse cooling needs of today’s IT environments, while also enabling future-proof deployments for AI workloads.
The pilot units of the Vertiv CoolPhase Flex will be deployed at a Compass data centers facility in the first quarter of 2025 as part of a long-term, multi-billion-dollar supply arrangement between the two companies.
The Vertiv CoolPhase Flex addresses the growing demand for high-density computing by offering a dual-mode cooling system that seamlessly switches between air and liquid cooling. This flexible solution simplifies deployment, reduces complexity, and enables cost-effective scaling for AI and other high-performance workloads.
“We are seeing growing demand for fast, practical, and energy-efficient ways to integrate liquid cooling to support AI and other high-density applications, but customers also need the ability to leverage air cooling and manage mixed loads within the same facility,” said Chris Crosby, CEO of Compass Datacenters. “We envisioned a solution that could seamlessly switch between air and liquid cooling as required—and Vertiv has brought that vision to life in an incredibly innovative way. The Vertiv CoolPhase Flex offers a level of flexibility that is unmatched in the industry, which is a huge advantage for us and our customers.”
The Vertiv CoolPhase Flex is a hybrid cooling system that initially operates as a direct expansion (DX) air cooler, with the ability to seamlessly transition to liquid cooling as the demand for high-density computing, such as AI workloads, increases. This flexibility eliminates the need for costly retrofitting and minimizes downtime.
The system simplifies the integration of liquid cooling, reducing time, cost, and operational disruption. It also features pumped refrigerant economization (PRE) technology for energy-efficient air cooling, automatically switching to free cooling when external conditions are optimal. As IT loads grow and require liquid cooling, the system easily adapts to ensure optimal performance. Additionally, its self-contained, modular design is installed outside the data center, providing scalability and minimizing impact on ongoing operations.
“AI is transforming data centers, but it is also transforming how the entire ecosystem works together to enable growth,” said Giordano Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv. “Data center operators, customers, chip manufacturers, infrastructure providers, and utility companies must all work together to innovate and remove barriers to AI adoption. The Vertiv CoolPhase Flex represents this type of collaboration—enabling us to support today’s IT while quickly adapting to the data center needs of tomorrow.”
