New Data Center Cooling Methods to Tackle Water, Power Challenges

There are two major challenges facing the data industry today. A new report from Nortek describes these hurdles as finite water and power resources. And data center cooling has become top of mind for data center managers and colocation providers.

And these are especially challenging for large scale operations and hyperscale facilities. The report takes readers back 20 years, when water and power used for cooling wasn’t as critical an issue because the data center industry was still in its infancy.

That said, Nortek pointed out, “The data center industry’s exponential growth is predicted to tax the planet’s future water and power supplies.”

This growth is spurred by increased heat loads from new data uses, such as AI, the Internet of things (IoT), machine learner, social media and more.

These technologies take much more water and power to cool equipment and keep the data center operating reliably.

“Water and power availability is already affecting different regions of the globe,” Nortek reports. “Short supply is quickly becoming the new normal, instead of the exception. Some countries attempting to develop data center business are realizing this oncoming shortage of resources will dampen their growth or eliminate their participation.”

Nortek contends these challenges need new data center cooling solutions. The report explores the ins and outs of the data center cooling method called the StatePoint Liquid Cooling (SPLC)4 system. According to the report, it offers a variety of operational and transitional modes, including economizer, adiabatic and evaporative — from one unit.

Large data center users are feeling pressure from local jurisdictions even when they locate facilities in moderate, dry climates.

“Indirect evaporative cooling using membrane exchangers can reduce liquid cooling’s Legionella potential,” the report states.

The report also explores a Singapore data center water and power usage case study. According to the report, Singapore officials know their current methods of cooling data center facilities might not be sustainable. But they are not alone.

Large data centers users across the world are feeling pressure from local jurisdictions even when they locate facilities in moderate, dry climates, due to water shortages.

“Water conservation and the stress on the local water supply have become critical issues,” the report states. “Therefore, it’s not just small resource-strapped countries that are balking on the large amount of power and water usage by large data centers.”

Download the full white paper, “Solutions to Data Center Water and Power Availability,” that explores a new data center cooling method called the StatePoint Liquid Cooling (SPLC)4 system from Nortek Solutions, and highlights a usage case study in Singapore.