Legrand has partnered with NorthC Data Centers (NorthC) to transform its data center in Münchenstein (Basel) 1 into a high-density, AI-ready facility. This upgrade facilitates the rapid deployment of advanced GPU clusters, hybrid-cloud workloads, and scalable high-performance computing (HPC) environments.
NorthC, which operates regional data centers in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany, faced growing demand for AI and HPC capacity at its Münchenstein (Basel) 1 site. To meet these requirements within a tight six-month timeframe, the company needed to upgrade its existing low-density infrastructure and traditional air-cooling systems to handle the power and thermal demands of modern AI workloads.
Legrand, through its specialist brand USystems, supplied ColdLogik Rear-Door Heat Exchangers (RDHx) for rack-level cooling. This innovative cooling system mounts directly onto the rear of server racks, absorbing heat from the hot air expelled by the servers and removing it through a highly efficient heat exchanger before recirculating the cooled air. This closed-loop system design results in significant efficiency gains while supporting high-density racks, making it the most energy-efficient rear-door cooling solution available worldwide.
The RDHx units were installed while the data center remained fully operational, which was described by Wolfgang Voigt, Münchenstein Data Center Site Manager at NorthC, as “like open-heart surgery.”
As a result of these upgrades, energy consumption at the Münchenstein site has been reduced by approximately 80%, thanks to the rear-door cooling solution and the infrastructure improvements. The facility is now fully equipped for AI and HPC applications, supporting GPU-driven clusters, hybrid-cloud environments, and high-density computing operations. NorthC’s customers benefit from high-speed, low-latency infrastructure that complies with Swiss data protection laws.
“Adopting the energy-efficient RDHx technology has been a game-changer for us,“ Voigt
added. „The fact that it enables high-density computing while reducing energy consumption makes it a compelling choice to meet AI and HPC requirements.”
The upgraded infrastructure also supports future growth, with a modular and flexible design that allows for additional rack deployments or transitions to liquid/direct-chip technology. NorthC continues to strengthen its sustainability credentials by leveraging efficient cooling solutions, optimizing existing site infrastructure, and working towards its broader climate-neutral goals for 2030.
“Installing the basic infrastructure for our cooling solutions in a data center, whether in the entire data center or just part of it, makes upgrading easy,“ Colin Rowlands, European Technical Support at USystems, explained. „The joint solution, which we are very proud of, provides NorthC with future-proof and flexible infrastructure.”
