Haier rolls out cooling solution for AI data centers

Chinese home appliance giant Haier on Wednesday unveiled its full-scenario cooling solution for AI data centers (AIDC), aiming to stabilize power usage effectiveness (PUE) at below 1.2 as demand for computing power surges.

Covering the entire cooling chain from cold sources and distribution systems to terminal units and liquid cooling CDUs, the fully self-developed system aims to keep PUE consistently below 1.2 while reducing space requirements by up to 70 percent, said Fu Songhui, vice-president of Haier Smart Home.

"By flexibly switching between air cooling, liquid cooling and hybrid modes, it can balance rapid deployment, scalable expansion and adaptability to extreme environments—much like a 'customized' intelligent cooling system for the AI super brain," said Fu.

The move comes amid the rapid expansion of the global digital economy and AI industry, where AI data centers have become a key battleground for computing capacity.

According to a report by market research firm Market Monitor, the global data center cooling market is expected to reach 119.5 billion yuan ($16.5 billion) by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.39 percent.

As China requires newly built large-scale intelligent computing centers to maintain a PUE below 1.25, with key hub nodes targeting levels under 1.20, it is ramping up efforts to improve energy efficiency while supporting higher computing output, said Xu Wei, chief scientist at the China Academy of Building Research.

"However, rising chip density and increasing power consumption per rack are making these targets more difficult to achieve," Xu said.

To tackle these challenges, the Haier solution has incorporated several energy-saving innovations.

One of its key technologies is an active magnetic levitation bearing system, which allows the rotor to operate without physical contact. The solution also features an upgraded energy-saving mode that maximizes the use of natural cooling sources, such as outdoor air, thus reducing reliance on mechanical refrigeration.

"Under this system, traditional cooling units can shift from primary cooling providers to auxiliary peak regulators," Fu said.