High-Temperature Centrifugal Chiller for Heat Recovery

Johnson Controls has introduced a high-density centrifugal chiller design intended to extend operating temperature ranges for cooling, heat recovery, and heat-pump applications in mission-critical and industrial environments.

High-temperature operation from a single driveline
The newly previewed chiller is designed around a two-stage, economized centrifugal architecture that operates across an extended temperature envelope from a single driveline. It supports condenser leaving fluid temperatures up to 165°F and lift conditions up to 110°F, allowing a single machine to cover operating scenarios that would typically require multiple systems or cascaded configurations.

This operating range enables closed-loop heat rejection using dry coolers rather than evaporative cooling towers. For facilities operating in water-stressed regions, this configuration reduces dependence on process water while maintaining thermal performance under high ambient conditions.

Heat recovery and heat-pump functionality
The chiller is engineered to support heat-pump and heat-recovery modes in parallel with cooling. In combined operation, it can simultaneously deliver 44°F chilled water and up to 140°F hot water, a typical requirement for electrified heating in large buildings.

By capturing and reusing waste heat, systems based on this configuration can offset more than 35 MMBtu per hour of thermal energy. This level of heat recovery is equivalent to the heating demand of approximately 350 single-family homes per hour, reducing fuel consumption and associated carbon emissions when replacing conventional boilers.

Water and noise reduction in data center environments
Water consumption and noise are critical constraints for data centers and AI-focused compute facilities. A conventional 2,000-ton chiller operating with cooling towers in arid climates such as Las Vegas can consume approximately 8–9 million gallons of water annually. When paired with dry coolers, the high-temperature chiller eliminates this water use entirely.

The extended lift capability also reduces the number of dry coolers required. In large data center applications, this can translate to up to a 60% reduction in dry cooler units and sufficient fan power reduction to lower on-site noise levels by as much as 20 dBA, addressing both permitting and community impact concerns.

Compact design and mechanical simplification
The unit integrates heating and cooling functions within a single packaged system, removing the need for cascaded chillers, supplementary heat pumps, or additional electrical infrastructure. Compared with multi-unit configurations, the design reduces rotating components by approximately 50%, simplifying installation and maintenance while improving uptime.

The overall footprint is nearly 30% smaller than many comparable alternatives, allowing easier integration into existing mechanical rooms and legacy chiller spaces. This is particularly relevant for retrofit projects where space, downtime, and skilled labor availability are limiting factors.

Efficiency, refrigerants, and standards compliance
The chiller is compatible with low-global-warming-potential refrigerants R-1234ze and R-515B and incorporates features such as a flash tank economizer, integrated lubrication system, and dual variable geometry diffuser control. Optional variable-speed drives support load optimization and compatibility with battery energy storage systems.

According to the company, the system exceeds applicable ASHRAE efficiency requirements while maintaining stable performance across its extended operating range.

Testing, manufacturing, and availability
The chiller has been tested under high-temperature and high-lift conditions at Johnson Controls’ Advanced Development and Engineering Center in Pennsylvania and at its Wuxi facility in China. Manufacturing is planned in San Antonio, Texas and Wuxi, China, supporting global distribution.

The product is being previewed at the AHR Expo 2026 in Las Vegas (Feb 2-4), with availability aligned to large-scale deployments in data centers, industrial plants, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and healthcare campuses where water conservation, electrification, and operational resilience are key design drivers.