For decades, glycol has been used for cooling. Before data centers existed, it was the quiet workhorse of traditional HVAC systems. Its role is simple but essential: preventing water from freezing in cooling loops while carrying heat efficiently through chiller plants, hydronic piping, and rooftop systems. From hospitals to factories, glycol kept climate control reliable, enabling buildings to maintain stable environments no matter the season. Without it, many of the heating and cooling solutions that define modern infrastructure simply wouldn’t be possible.
Ai & the Rise of Data Centers
Fast forward to today, and the conversation around cooling has shifted dramatically. With the rise of artificial intelligence, data centers have become the factories of the digital age, housing rows of high-performance servers that generate enormous amounts of heat as they compute, store, and process information. As AI expands into everything from finance to healthcare, the demand for computing power – and by extension, the demand for cooling – has skyrocketed. Industry reports show that hyperscale data centers can consume as much electricity as a mid-sized city, with cooling alone accounting for a major share of that usage.
Glycol has been viewed as part of “traditional” cooling models – but now, in both traditional HVAC and cutting-edge data center infrastructure, glycol is solving critical challenges. By circulating through advanced cooling systems, it helps carry away massive amounts of heat produced by servers, ensuring uptime and efficiency. The scale of cooling required is staggering – some data centers need enough to offset the heat output of tens of thousands of homes – and glycol is central to making that possible.
Beyond that, glycol is also part of a broader energy strategy: when paired with geothermal systems, it enables facilities to reduce their reliance on conventional power by tapping into the earth’s stable temperatures. Additionally, glycol loops are increasingly being integrated into thermal energy networks, where the excess heat generated by data centers can be recaptured and reused to warm nearby buildings or feed district energy systems. Instead of being wasted, server heat becomes a resource – transforming data centers into contributors to local energy efficiency.
Glycol Solutions for the Digital Age
CORECHEM has long been involved in producing and supporting glycol solutions for industries that depend on reliable cooling, and that experience now extends to the digital infrastructure era. In addition to glycol for data center cooling, our team has also invested in geothermal systems, partnering with organizations that continue to advance geothermal technology. We believe in being part of the solution to the challenges that a data-driven world demands.
Learn more about our inhibited propylene & ethylene glycol solutions.
