DATA CENTRE COOLING
Why HVAC maintenance matters more than ever
As demand for energy and uptime intensifi es in the UK’s data centre sector, Andrew Beardsmore, Service Sales Director at Carrier Commercial HVAC, explains why the often-overlooked discipline of HVAC maintenance could be one of the industry’s most powerful tools.
C Andrew Beardsmore
"Legacy systems
remain a vital part of many data centre operations and, when properly
maintained, can continue to deliver reliable, effi cient
performance."
ushman & Wakefi eld’s H1 2025 data centre update reveals that London is Europe’s largest data centre market, with over 1.1GW in operation and another 1.7GW in the pipeline. As AI adoption accelerates and colocation demand surges, the city is on track to become the fi rst EMEA market to reach 2GW in capacity. But with power constraints, planning delays and scrutiny over energy use, operators are under pressure to make every kilowatt count. While attention is increasingly drawn to innovations like immersion and liquid cooling, already gaining traction in markets like Lisbon, Frankfurt and Helsinki, the UK remains grounded in more traditional cooling strategies. Chillers, air handling units, computer room air handlers and dry air coolers are still the workhorses of thermal management in most UK facilities. Yet, what often gets overlooked is the servicing of these systems. Correct and regular maintenance is
one of the fastest, most cost-eff ective ways to improve energy effi ciency right now.
The effi ciency opportunity hidden in plain sight Unlike the fl ashy headlines about cutting-edge cooling, the real effi ciency gains today often come from inspecting, calibrating, brushing and testing. HVAC systems are rarely the fi rst thing a boardroom talks about when discussing sustainability or ESG targets. But perhaps they should be because HVAC systems have an important role to play. Poor maintenance leads to underperformance, overconsumption and higher emissions – all of which undermine sustainability credentials. In facilities where uptime is critical, even a small decline in cooling effi ciency can be costly. Carrier technicians have reported that even light particulate build-up, less than a
Carrier technician gathering information 16 November 2025 •
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