Summary:
1. Johnson Controls introduces the YORK YK-HT two-stage economised centrifugal chiller at AHR Expo 2026 in Las Vegas, focusing on energy efficiency for data centers and large campuses.
2. The chiller is designed for various sectors and offers a wide operating range, conserving water, reducing noise, and offsetting carbon emissions.
3. It features environmentally-friendly refrigerants, optimized performance, efficiency enhancements, smart connectivity, and compact design for easy installation in existing spaces.
Article:
Johnson Controls has unveiled the YORK YK-HT two-stage economised centrifugal chiller at the AHR Expo 2026 in Las Vegas, showcasing its energy-efficient capabilities tailored for data centers and large campuses. This innovative technology is specifically crafted for sectors like industrial, pharmaceutical, and healthcare, offering a wide operating range to meet diverse needs. The YK-HT chiller stands out for its ability to work with condenser leaving fluid temperatures up to 165°F and support lifts up to 110°F, enabling efficient heat rejection through dry coolers and facilitating heat-pump and heat-recovery applications. By doing so, it helps offset thermal energy equivalent to heating demands of approximately 350 single-family homes, contributing to a reduction in carbon emissions and energy expenses.
Aside from its environmental benefits, the YORK YK-HT chiller also excels in water conservation and noise reduction. For instance, a typical 2,000-ton chiller operating in Las Vegas can save approximately 8 to 9 million gallons of water annually and reduce noise levels by up to 20 dBA, making it a valuable asset for AI factories and data centers facing noise restrictions. Moreover, the YK-HT offers both heating and cooling capabilities, generating 44°F chilled water and 140°F hot water simultaneously, meeting heat pump standards without requiring extensive changes in mechanical room architecture or cascaded systems. Its design streamlines installation with a single driveline and 50% fewer rotating components, simplifying maintenance and enhancing uptime reliability in light of current skilled-labor shortages.
Furthermore, the YORK YK-HT chiller is designed to fit seamlessly into existing legacy chiller spaces, boasting a compact design that is nearly 30% smaller than many alternatives, reducing retrofit costs in terms of time, labor, and expenditure. It utilizes environmentally-friendly refrigerants like R-1234ze and R-515B, integrates an integrated lubrication system and dual variable geometry diffuser control for optimized performance, and offers efficiency enhancements with a flash tank economizer and optional variable speed drives for increased efficiency and compatibility with BESS. Additionally, it comes factory-fitted with Smart Ready connectivity for seamless integration into building management systems.
The YORK YK-HT chillers have undergone rigorous testing to ensure performance and are set for global distribution, with manufacturing supported by robust service networks and resources to facilitate component supply and support. Overall, the introduction of the YORK YK-HT chiller marks a significant advancement in sustainable building solutions, offering a comprehensive range of features to meet the evolving needs of various sectors while prioritizing energy efficiency, water conservation, and operational reliability.