Direct Drive Cooling Tower Motors in the US: How Data Centers and ASHRAE 90.1 Are Forcing a Drivetrain Rethink
Three things are converging at once: ASHRAE 90.1-2022 is tightening cooling tower fan efficiency requirements, the data center build-out driven by AI workloads is creating a new category of continuous-duty tower operation, and the Inflation Reduction Act has made efficiency upgrades genuinely monetizable. Direct drive permanent magnet motors are getting a serious second look from US facility engineers. A practical walk-through for teams evaluating whether a direct drive retrofit makes sense for their towers.
EMF Motor Engineering Team
Engineering Division











