The Integrated Cooling Stack for AI-Class Data Centers: Modular Cooling as the Baseline February 20, 2026 Why Chillers + CDUs + Water Skids Must Be Modular** AI class thermal loads demand a cooling ecosystem designed for density, speed, and repeatability. Patching together individual components slows timelines and increases integration risk. A unified, modular stack—combining chillers, CDUs, and chilled water skids into a single engineered platform—enables faster deployment and more predictable performance. This post breaks down why modular integration is now the baseline for high density liquid cooling builds. 1) The Heat Problem AI Creates High density AI racks are transforming thermal profiles. Traditional air systems struggle to move enough heat with reasonable fan energy, and “bolt on” approaches add complexity and delays. Liquid ready infrastructure is now table stakes—but how you deliver it determines whether you hit timelines. 2) Beyond Components: A True Cooling Ecosystem A piecemeal approach means more vendors, more interfaces, and more re work. A single, integrated platform that includes chillers, CDUs, and chilled water skids streamlines design, sourcing, installation, and commissioning. With one engineering owner for the stack, accountability is clear, and the path to production is shorter. 3) Why Modularity Wins in Deployment Pre engineered, factory assembled modules reduce onsite trades and the amount of stick building. Standardized blocks can be rolled into a repeatable build sequence: set, connect, commission. As your load grows, you add modules instead of re engineering the plant. Modularity also supports N+1/N+N strategies without over provisioning. 4) Reclaiming White Space by Moving CDUs to Gray Space CDUs don’t need to live in your white space. Relocating them to industrial gray space frees valuable floor area for racks and simplifies service access. With the right platform, distribution is designed in from the start: headers, valves, filtration, monitoring, and controls that keep runtime safe and maintenance practical—without sacrificing density. 5) Liquid Ready for D2C and Immersion Whether you’re piloting direct to chip cold plates or rolling out immersion tanks, your plant must be liquid ready. That means the chiller plant, CDUs, and skids are designed to support flow rates, temperatures, and controls required by D2C and immersion—without bespoke rework each time you expand. 6) Oil Free Efficiency & High Ambient Reliability Oil free compressor technology minimizes maintenance complexity and can enable meaningful energy savings at part load—ideal for variable AI utilization profiles. Pair that with high ambient performance to ensure availability across hot climates and summer peaks. 7) Fewer Skids, Less Stick Building = Real Schedule Savings Every skid removed, every field weld avoided, and every interface standardized reduces risk. Pre assembled modules shorten install durations, simplify QA/QC, and support parallel workstreams (civil, electrical, mechanical), all of which compress lead times from green light to go live. 8) Controls, Telemetry, and Serviceability An integrated platform lets you harmonize sensors, alarming, and control logic across the stack. That makes capacity planning and incident response faster. And because CDUs live in gray space, technicians access and service equipment without disrupting the white space. 9) Standardize to Replicate The biggest payoff of modular integration shows up on your second and third build: you’re not redesigning, you’re replicating a proven pattern. Procurement is cleaner, spares are simpler, training is consistent, and your commissioning checklist looks the same every time. AI has changed the cooling game. The fastest path to capacity is a modular, integrated ecosystem that brings chillers, CDUs, and chilled water skids together—from design through deployment. That’s how you build faster, reduce risk, and run harder. Explore the GDX platform and see how we integrate chillers, CDUs, and water skids into one modular stack. → Request a Quote → See the GDX Series *Energy savings depend on application, load profile, ambient conditions, and system design.