U.S. Cooling Tower Market Size & Share Analysis - Emerging Trends, Growth Opportunities, Competitive Landscape, and Forecasts (2025 - 2032)

U.S. Cooling Tower Market Dynamics

Adoption of Hybrid Cooling Towers Is a Key Market Trend

• The capability of hybrid cooling towers to work on both wet and dry cooling technologies makes them an attractive solution among industries in the U.S.
• These systems eliminate water vapor emissions, which can create reduced visibility and icing during winter.
• They also have a lower environmental footprint as they consume less water compared to traditional cooling towers.
• Hybrid cooling towers are made from high-performance materials and contain energy-efficient fans and automated control systems.
• The addition of sensors and automation allows hybrid towers to carry out the real-time monitoring of water flow, temperature, and energy usage.

Industrial Growth Is the Biggest Driver for Market Growth

• The expansion of the power generation sector with the rising demand for electricity from the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors necessitates more efficient cooling systems.
• As per the EPA, 70% of the electricity in the country is produced at power plants that use water for cooling purposes.
• Furthermore, the expansion of the petrochemical industry in the U.S. drives the market as it relies heavily on cooling towers for distillation, cracking, and refining.
• According to the EIA, the operable atmospheric crude oil distillation capacity of the country rose by 2% in 2024 from 2023.
• The manufacturing sector in the U.S. is booming due to the rise in investment in the automotive, electronics, and aerospace sectors.
• These industries are characterized by several heat-intensive processes, necessitating advanced cooling systems.

Segmentation and Category Analysis

Type Insights

• The evaporative category held the largest market share of 80% in 2024 due to the high operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these variants.
• Furthermore, these cooling towers are capable of handling high loads due to their open design, which makes them suitable for industrial processes with a high heat output.
• Whereas, the hybrid category will grow at the highest CAGR of 6.56% during the forecast period.
• The growth of this category can be attributed to the rising environmental concerns in the U.S., which create the requirement for cooling towers that can conserve more water than traditional models.
• The hybrid technology combines the features of both dry and wet cooling systems, which makes it more efficient than either of them individually.

Based on type, the market has the following categories:

• Evaporative (Largest Category)
• Dry
• Hybrid Tower (Fastest-Growing Category)

Material Insights

The FRP category held the largest market share of 55% in 2024 due to its corrosion resistance, low weight, and durability. These properties make FRP cooling towers suitable for HVAC, petrochemical production, and power generation applications.

FRP possesses low thermal conductivity, which helps in reducing power loss during the cooling process. Cooling towers made from fiber-reinforced plastics need less maintenance, boast low costs, and can be deployed at large facilities.

Whereas, the concrete category will grow at the highest CAGR of 7.21% during the forecast period, as concrete cooling towers offer cost-effectiveness in the long term with their low maintenance requirements. Additionally, the addition of additives improves the tensile strength, reduces porosity, and extends the life of the structure.

Based on construction material, the market has the following categories:

• Steel
• Wood
• Concrete (Fastest-Growing Category)
• Fiberglass-Reinforced Plastic (FRP) (Largest Category)
• Aluminum

Application Insights

The power generation category held the largest market share of 40% in 2024.

This is because power plants that use nuclear fuel, coal, gas, and renewable energy generate vast amounts of heat, which needs to be dissipated to maintain optimum efficiency and safety.

Whereas, the HVAC category will grow at the highest CAGR of 6.58% during the forecast period due to the rise in construction activities in the commercial and residential sectors in the U.S.

The adoption of more energy-efficient pumps, corrosion-resistant materials, and modular and compact designs is enhancing the efficiency and reliability of cooling towers.

Based on application, the market has the following categories:

• Power Generation (Largest Category)
• HVAC (Fastest-Growing Category)
• Food & Beverage
• Chemical
• Petrochemical and Oil & Gas
• Others

Flow Type Insights

The crossflow category held the largest market share of 55% in 2024. Crossflow cooling towers have a higher capacity, and thus can handle larger volumes of water, which is why they are suitable for industries that generate massive amounts of heat. Additionally, these systems need less power for fans compared to others.

Whereas, the counterflow category will grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, due to advanced technology integration and their wide application in industries such as pharmaceuticals and food processing.

Additionally, the rapid adoption of these cooling towers in data centers and the semiconductor fabrication sector drives the category’s growth in the market. Furthermore, their compact design makes them suitable for urban environments and compact spaces.

Based on flow type, the market has the following categories:

• Crossflow (Largest Category)
• Counterflow (Fastest-Growing Category)
• Others

Design Insights

The mechanical draught category held the larger market share of 70% in 2024.

This type of cooling tower boasts a higher thermal performance compared to those with a natural draught design.

The natural draught category will grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period.

This can be attributed to the eco-friendly design of these models, which eliminates mechanical fans.

In turn, this reduces the overall energy consumption, further supporting sustainability.

Based on design, the market has the following categories:

• Mechanical Draught (Largest Category)
• Natural Draught (Fastest-Growing Category)

U.S. Cooling Tower Market Share

The nature of the U.S. cooling tower market is fragmented due to the large number of players, including both local and international. While the large market players have big shares, many regional and local players also enjoy a significant presence. The market comprises a few established players, which are facing competition from local players.