Executive Summary
- The number of data centre projects is on the rise, with there set to be more than 500 data centres in the UK.
- Not only are the number of data centres increasing, but so is their size: they’re getting bigger, better, denser and a lot more powerful, which means they’re also getting hotter.
- Cooling systems have a lot on their plate when it comes to keeping up with thermal management demands, and as we head into 2026, hybrid cooling is set to fully take over from traditional cooling methods.
With more than 100 projects in the pipeline for new data centres in the UK, on top of the 450 we already have, we know that data centres are getting bigger, better, denser, more efficient, and more powerful. What does all of this mean? They’re also getting hotter.
Every rack of servers generates an enormous amount of thermal load, and managing it effectively is becoming one of the industry’s more pressing problems.
Sure, they are hot stuff after all, but these data centres are currently struggling to keep up with heat management, particularly with AI workloads. The server rooms and the infrastructure within must be kept to certain temperature levels to ensure equipment is reliable and prolong its lifespan. For this, they need efficient heat management systems that not only smartly cool the server racks, but also do not waste energy when in use.
Hybrid cooling enters the chat
Hybrid cooling enters the chat: a smarter, more flexible approach that blends multiple cooling technologies to balance performance, cost, and sustainability.
Traditional cooling solutions were more of a single-method system, but with hybrid cooling, the combination of air cooling with liquid or adiabatic cooling is much more efficient, allowing the operators to switch methods based on demand, climate and workload.
Data centres can control their temperature better, even during times of peak usage, without wasting energy during those quieter periods.
But this isn’t just about temperature control; studies have shown there is a significant reduction in energy consumption, lower water usage and they can support high server densities with ease, making them the ideal solution for the demands of AI workloads and the increase in AI data centres.
Looking to the next year
Blink and you’ll miss it: 2026 is around the corner and every industry leader is predicting what’s going to happen next in the data centre industry. It’s no industry secret that hybrid cooling is going to be a major player next year in coping with the rise of AI data centres and higher-density racks, but there must be huge infrastructure changes and innovation to ensure that cooling systems can satisfy the appetite for energy while keeping servers cool and reducing carbon emissions.
As the pressure mounts for data centres to become bigger, more powerful and more sustainable, next year and beyond, hybrid cooling won’t be a nice-to-have innovation, it’s going to become the new industry standard.
