Liquid Cooling in Data Centers: the 2026 White Paper | HiRef S.p.A.

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Beyond air cooling

Liquid cooling: how data center cooling is evolving

  • Technology

Year: 2026

The transition to liquid cooling explained clearly and practically in our white paper: “Liquid Cooling: The Imperative of 2026.”

The data center world is undergoing one of the most radical transformations of the past decades. The exponential growth in computing power, driven by artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, is pushing traditional air-based infrastructures beyond their physical limits.
In this scenario, liquid cooling is no longer just an option—it is the only viable path to manage increasingly high power densities.

To explore this shift in depth, we have developed our new white paper: “Liquid Cooling – The Imperative of 2026.”

From the “thermal wall” to a paradigm shift

For years, air cooling has been the standard in data centers. Today, however, we have entered a new phase: racks exceeding 100 kW and GPUs with a TDP (Thermal Design Power) surpassing 1000 W are making this approach increasingly unsustainable.
To better explain this, the white paper introduces the concept of the “thermal wall”: the physical limit beyond which air can no longer effectively dissipate the generated heat.
The transition to liquid cooling is therefore not a technological choice, but a design necessity.

Technologies, architectures, and integration

The document provides a clear and structured analysis of the main solutions currently available:

  • Direct-to-Chip (DTC), now the standard for AI and HPC
  • Immersion cooling, for ultra-high-density applications
  • Hybrid architectures, combining air and liquid for a gradual transition

Beyond technologies, the focus is on the entire ecosystem: from fluid distribution to management through CDUs (Coolant Distribution Units), up to integration with existing infrastructure.

A practical guide to designing the data center of the future

This white paper was created with a clear goal: to support designers, operators, and decision-makers in the transition to liquid cooling, providing practical tools to understand technologies, operational implications, and future scenarios.

👉 Download the full white paper and discover how to design the data center of 2026.