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April 20-23, 2026
Walter E. Washington Convention CenterWashington, D.C.

2026 Event Schedule

Too Hot to Handle? Smarter Data Center Cooling for Smarter Workloads

Mauro Atalla  (SVP & Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, Trane Technologies)
Phill Lawson-Shanks  (Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, Aligned Data Centers)
Location: 202A
Date: Wednesday, April 22
Time: 2:30 pm - 3:15 pm
Pass Type: AFCOM Solution Provider, All Access Conference, Industry Conference, Standard Conference - Get your pass now!
Track: Emerging IT & Data Center Technologies
Session Type: Conference Session
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: All Audiences

As data centers scale to support AI, high-density, and quantum workloads, cooling innovation has become a mission-critical challenge. This panel with Aligned Data Centers and TRANE explores how advances in cooling technologies, smart control systems, and sustainable design are shaping the next era of digital infrastructure. There is a need to support customers as they transition between traditional and next-gen workloads (air, liquid, and hybrid cooling). Intelligent monitoring and AI-driven management are emerging to monitor thermal loads, integrated with Building Management Systems and DCIM platforms, enabling real-time precision, preventing overheating as power densities surge.

Panelists will share actionable strategies to scale cooling capacity intelligently, deliver reliability and flexibility under extreme performance conditions, and embed sustainability into the design and operation of data centers.

Takeaways:
• Explore how adaptive cooling systems can scale with rapid workload growth and shifting demands.
• Understand the role of advanced liquid and modular cooling solutions for AI and high-density environments.
• Learn how sustainability, adaptability, and efficiency converge through modern cooling technology.