TYSONS, Va. – Shumate Engineering, a local mechanical‑electrical‑plumbing (MEP) firm that specializes in mission‑critical facilities, said it received a new U.S. utility patent in July 2026 for the operational core of its Hybrid‑Dry/Adiabatic‑Cooling system. The patent follows a 2025 design patent that covered the physical layout of the technology.
Significant resource savings
The company reports that the system can cut water consumption by 93%, reduce cooling‑specific power use by half, and lower total site power demand by 15% when compared with conventional data‑center cooling methods. Those figures, if realized at scale, could translate into substantial cost reductions for operators of large‑scale artificial‑intelligence facilities.
How the system works
Co‑inventors R. Stephen Spinazzola, director of mission‑critical services, and Justin Penrod, director of mechanical engineering, explained that the closed‑loop design delivers two separate water temperature streams. One stream provides 68‑degree water for traditional air‑cooled racks, while the other supplies 90‑degree water for direct‑to‑chip liquid cooling. Both streams share a common return line, simplifying plumbing and reducing overall water usage.
The system can automatically switch between modes based on outdoor conditions. In cooler weather it operates in an economizer mode, drawing in outside air to provide free cooling. When temperatures rise, an evaporative function adds moisture to the air, delivering additional cooling capacity without the need for extra electricity.
Economic impact
Shumate estimates that a 15% reduction in total site power could generate roughly $1 billion in utility savings for an 800‑megawatt AI data center, based on the company’s stated assumptions. While the exact savings will vary by location and utility rates, the potential financial benefit underscores the value of energy‑efficient design in a sector where power costs dominate operating expenses.
Local projects and future growth
According to the firm, it is currently engaged in 16 new data‑center projects across Texas, Missouri and Arizona, representing a combined 5.7 gigawatts of processing capacity. Those projects will bring engineering jobs and related economic activity to the regions involved, while also promoting greener, more sustainable data‑center operations.
Shumate Engineering remains headquartered in Virginia and continues to market its cooling technology to data‑center owners seeking to meet both cost‑reduction goals and increasing regulatory pressure to conserve water and energy.
Industry context
Data‑center operators nationwide are under growing scrutiny to improve energy efficiency and reduce water consumption, especially in drought‑prone areas. Innovations like Shumate’s hybrid system align with broader industry trends toward mixed‑mode cooling, where traditional air‑cooled equipment coexists with newer liquid‑cooled hardware. By offering a flexible, dual‑temperature solution, the technology aims to protect legacy investments while supporting the rapid adoption of high‑density, liquid‑cooled servers.
As the demand for AI‑driven workloads accelerates, the need for reliable, efficient cooling will only increase. Shumate Engineering’s patented approach could become a key component of the next generation of sustainable data‑center infrastructure.
Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.
