Johnson Controls Brings Cooling-as-a-Service to the Data Center

In this episode of the Data Center Frontier Show podcast, we sit down with Martin Renkis, Executive Director of Global Alliances for Sustainable Infrastructure at Johnson Controls, to explore how Data Center Cooling as a Service (DCCaaS) is changing the way operators think about risk, capital, and sustainability.

Johnson Controls has delivered guaranteed infrastructure services for over 40 years, shifting cooling from a CAPEX burden to an OPEX model. The company designs, builds, operates, and maintains systems under long-term agreements that transfer performance risk away from the operator.

Key to the model is AI-driven optimization through platforms like OpenBlue, paired with financial guarantees tied directly to customer-defined KPIs. A joint venture with Apollo Group (Ionic Blue) also provides flexible financing, freeing up capital for land or expansion.

With rising rack densities and unpredictable AI factory demands, Renkis says cooling-as-a-service offers “a financially guaranteed safety net” that adapts to change while advancing sustainability goals.

Listen now to learn how Johnson Controls is redefining cooling for the AI era.