Vertiv™ CoolPhase Flex, the next generation of the high-efficiency Vertiv™ Liebert® DSE Packaged System, integrates liquid cooling capabilities with refrigerant-based air cooling and heat rejection technologies into a single, integrated system. As data center customers plan their growth strategies, Vertiv CoolPhase Flex can initially be used as a cost-saving direct expansion (DX) cooling system to support efficient and reliable air cooling. Later, when high-density computing systems are deployed, the liquid cooling capability can be quickly and easily activated to support these cooling options.

“Our customers are looking for fast, practical, and energy-efficient ways to introduce liquid cooling to support AI and other high-density applications, but they also want the flexibility to leverage air cooling and operate mixed loads in the same facility,” said Chris Crosby, CEO of Compass. “We envisioned a future where we could be ready to rapidly deploy liquid or air cooling systems to meet our customers’ evolving needs, and Vertiv has brought that vision to life in a highly innovative way. The new Vertiv™ CoolPhase Flex provides an unprecedented level of flexibility that is extremely useful for both us and our customers.”

“AI is not only transforming data centers, but also how leading companies in the industry collaborate to facilitate progress. Data center operators, customers, chip manufacturers, infrastructure providers, utilities, and others must work together to innovate and lower the barriers to AI adoption,” explained Giordano (Gio) Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv. “The engineers at Compass Datacenters and Vertiv collaborated to bring this important project to fruition. Vertiv™ CoolPhase Flex supports current computing applications and rapidly enables the data centers of the future. With our extensive experience and understanding of the complexities of AI applications, Vertiv was ideally positioned to bring this solution to market.”

Key benefits of the new Vertiv CoolPhase Flex include:
• Faster and simpler deployments of high-density computing: Thanks to the integrated hybrid design of Vertiv CoolPhase Flex, the complexity associated with adopting liquid cooling systems is minimized, reducing deployment time, costs, and downtime.
• Uncompromising efficiency: For air cooling, the solution employs pumped refrigerant economization (PRE) technology that automatically switches to free cooling mode when external conditions are favorable. When IT loads require liquid cooling, the system can be easily converted for fluid distribution and heat rejection, and is compatible with liquid cooling solutions such as the Vertiv™ XDU 1350.
• Cost and space savings: The self-contained system is installed outside the data center, freeing up valuable space. Compass' modular data centers and equipment zones are designed to be flexible and scalable, adapting to evolving requirements and new technologies. This allows customers to upgrade to Vertiv CoolPhase Flex with minimal operational impact and without incurring the high costs associated with extensive rebuilds or renovations.

Compass has also deployed the Vertiv™ Next Predict service platform, which leverages predictive analytics to help companies transition from reactive to proactive maintenance for select refrigeration units. The platform provides visibility into equipment operations and uses historical and operational data to alert users when maintenance interventions are required.

“Having a predictive tool that alerts us when equipment needs preventative maintenance, rather than waiting for an availability issue to arise, represents a paradigm shift for refrigeration equipment,” added Crosby. “Having Vertiv as partners to lead the way together has been an extraordinary experience.”