Data Center Air Handling Units Market Size, Share, Trend, Revenue Report 2026 to 2035

What Data Center Air Handling Units Market Size?

Global Data Center Air Handling Units Market Size is valued at USD 3.92 Bn in 2025 and is predicted to reach USD 9.43 Bn by the year 2035 at a 9.5% CAGR during the forecast period for 2026 to 2035.

Data Center Air Handling Units Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Distribution by Type (Chilled Water (CHW) AHU, DX (Direct Expansion) AHU, Evaporative/Adiabatic AHU, Outside Air/Air Side Economizer AHU, Hybrid (Dual Medium Native) AHU), By Capacity (≤ 5,000 m³/h, 5,001–15,000 m³/h, 15,001–30,000 m³/h, 30,001–50,000 m³/h, ≥ 50,001 m³/h), By Data Center Type (Hyperscale, Colocation Providers, Enterprises) and Segment Forecasts, 2026 to 2035.

Air handling units (AHUs) are essential parts of the cooling system in data centres and are intended to condition, circulate, filter and manage the air in buildings that contain servers, networking equipment and other IT systems. The AHUs in data centres control temperature, humidity, airflow and air quality in order to ensure that the delicate computing equipment has stable operating conditions. The type of cooling method used by AHUs will depend on the cooling system's design and the environmental requirements, and may involve chilled water, direct expansion (DX), evaporative or adiabatic cooling, outside-air economization or hybrid cooling methods. The way in which AHUs are configured and the size of their capacity will vary according to factors such as the size of the data centre, the density of the racks, the cooling load, the climate and the design of the facility.

The market for AHUs in data centres includes the design, the manufacturing, the supply, the installation and the deployment of AHUs which have been specially engineered for use in data centre settings. It involves a variety of AHU types such as chilled water, DX, evaporative/adiabatic, outside air/air-side economizers and hybrid units, as well as different ranges of airflow capacity. Demand exists in hyperscale, colocation and enterprise data centres, with deployment increasing in both established and developing data centre markets around the world. The market is also influenced by the expansion of high-density computing infrastructure, the growing cooling requirements, the modernisation of existing facilities and the demand for efficient and reliable thermal management systems.

Competitive Landscape

Which are the Leading Players in the Data Center Air Handling Units Market?

• Vertiv Group Corp
• Johnson Controls, Inc.
• STULZ GMBH
• Carrier
• Daikin Industries Ltd.
• Samsung Electronics
• Systemair AB
• Swegon Group AB
• Munters Group AB
• Trane
• Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• LG Electronics
• Trox SE
• Airedale International Air Conditioning Ltd. (Modine)
• AL-KO THERM GMBH
• AAON
• Zeco Aircon
• GD Midea Heating & Ventilating Equipment Co., Ltd.

Market Dynamics

Driver

Rising AI and High-Density Computing Deployments

The quick growth of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and high-performance computing (HPC) is causing data centres to use more power and produce more heat, which means that the rack densities are now much higher than those found in traditional IT systems. Since AI workloads depend greatly on high-performance GPUs and accelerators, these components produce a large amount of heat and need constant, accurate cooling in order to ensure that the equipment functions properly and remains reliable. In response, data centre operators, especially those who operate hyperscale facilities and colocation services, are installing more powerful and more advanced air handling units (AHUs) so that they can handle the greater demand for airflow and cooling. With the global capacity for AI-ready data centres increasing, there is expected to be a growing requirement for reliable and scalable thermal management infrastructure to meet the demand for data centre AHUs.

Restrain/Challenge

Shift Toward Liquid Cooling for High-Density AI Data Centers

The greater the use of direct-to-chip and other liquid cooling technologies in connection with AI and high-performance computing tasks, the more significant the challenge becomes for the Data Center AHU Market. Since rack power densities are increasing, conventional air cooling becomes less effective at getting rid of the concentrated heat, whereas liquid cooling is able to transfer the heat more efficiently and can support racks with much higher densities. Current industry recommendations more and more regard liquid cooling as the best method for use in AI/HPC environments when traditional air cooling can no longer be relied upon practically. This change could decrease the need for conventional AHUs in high-density AI applications and might restrict their role to areas with lower densities or to part of a hybrid cooling system.

Chilled Water (CHW) AHU Segment is Expected to Drive the Data Center Air Handling Units Market

The chilled water (CHW) AHU segment is likely to stay the leading segment in the data center AHU market since it can offer high-capacity, reliable, and scalable cooling for large data centre environments. It is especially appropriate for hyperscale and colocation facilities, as the central cooling system can serve several IT rooms and handle varying thermal loads. The technology also meets the increasing demands of AI and high-performance computing, since current chilled-water systems are capable of providing conventional air cooling as well as integration with liquid-cooling systems. Moreover, the use of variable-flow chillers, higher chilled-water temperatures, and free-cooling options is enhancing system efficiency and lowering operating costs, which in turn increases the appeal of CHW-based cooling for large-scale data centre applications.

≤ 5,000 m³/h Segment is Growing at the Highest Rate in the Data Center Air Handling Units Market

The segment with a capacity of ≥50,001 m³/h is expected to be the fastest-growing and leading segment over the forecast period, owing to the expansion of hyperscale and large colocation data centres, especially those supporting AI, ML, and HPC workloads, since these require much higher airflow volumes in order to deal with the rising rack power densities and thermal loads. AHUs with high capacity are able to offer large-scale air distribution and cooling and can support technologies including chilled-water cooling, free cooling, variable-speed fans, and advanced controls.

Why North America Led the Data Center Air Handling Units Market?

North America is expected to take the lead in the data center AHU market over the course of the forecast period. This is due to the region's well-established data centre ecosystem, the large number of hyperscale and colocation facilities it contains, and the strong levels of investment in AI, cloud computing, and high-performance computing.

The United States makes up the largest share of the regional data centre capacity, with key locations such as Northern Virginia, Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Phoenix experiencing major expansions. This fast-paced development is driving up the demand for high-capacity and energy-efficient thermal management systems, including AHUs. Furthermore, the increasing rack power densities resulting from AI workloads are leading to higher cooling demands, which in turn is promoting greater adoption of AHUs.

Key Development:

November 2025: Samsung Electronics completed the acquisition of FläktGroup, strengthening its position in the global HVAC and data center markets. The acquisition enables Samsung to leverage FläktGroup’s HVAC technologies, production and sales network, and subsidiaries, including Woods Air Movement, SEMCO, and SE-Elektronic. FläktGroup will continue operating as an independent subsidiary, while Samsung plans to integrate its expertise with AI platforms to develop advanced HVAC and data center cooling solutions.

Data Center Air Handling Units Market Report Scope: