Data Centers under water pressure: Cooling innovations required amid rising heatwaves

Amidst rising global heatwaves and water stress, data centers in London face water consumption concerns. Airedale’s cooling solutions offer innovative ways to mitigate the impact while ensuring energy efficiency.

Water utility Thames Water has raised concerns about the water consumption of data center operators in London during peak times. With extreme heatwaves impacting Europe and droughts prevalent in the US, water resources are under increasing stress globally, with demand projected to exceed supply by 40% by 2030.

Last summer, during UK heatwaves, data centers in the capital had to resort to using additional water spray to cool their equipment, and large data centers potentially consume between 1 million and 5 million gallons of water daily, depending on their cooling methods.

Adding to the pressure, the European Commission will soon require operators to publicly report detailed data on their energy and water usage, prompting data centers to reconsider their cooling systems.

In response to this challenge, Patrick Cotton, Airedale’s Global Product Manager for chillers, suggests three strategies for data center operators to adapt:

1. Increase the Design Ambient Temperature of Chillers: Redesign chillers to operate efficiently at higher ambient temperatures to reduce the need for additional water spray.
2. Intelligent Facility Design: Carefully plan the size and layout of the chiller compound to avoid creating microclimates that require supplementary water.
3. Intelligent Adiabatic Systems: Employ water-conserving adiabatic cooling strategies that activate only when necessary, minimizing water use while maintaining efficiency.

Despite the changing climate and increasing challenges, Airedale advocates for intelligent system design to achieve energy efficiency without resorting to excessive water usage. As the world faces more frequent extreme weather events, data centers must consider innovative cooling solutions while maintaining harmony with water utilities.

To learn more, refer www.airedale.com