Being Cool May Not Be Sustainable
Remember how hot it has been these past two years? We all have had weeks or months of sweltering heat and trying to stay cool at work or at home. However, if you were fortunate enough to work in a data center, then you had it made. Just think of being inside a data center when it is running at its perfect temperature, between 73o and 75o F? How cool would that be?! However, that coolness comes with a big environmental impact.
Data centers are water guzzlers! On average, it takes about 0.48 gallons (1.8 liters) of water to cool just one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in a datacenter. In 2022, U.S. data centers consumed approximately 200 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, or about 4% of the total U.S. electricity demand. And guess what? This figure is forecasted to rise significantly in the coming years due to the growing adoption of 5G networks, cloud-based services, and AI technologies. In addition, the data center construction market in the U.S. is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% from now to 2030. Finally, let’s not forget that data centers indirectly consume water through the electricity they use, as power plants need water for cooling during electricity generation. In the U.S., it takes approximately 2 gallons of water to generate 1 kWh of electricity.
The Path Forward
As you can imagine, the key challenges in building and operating sustainable data centers revolve around managing water and energy consumption, adopting innovative cooling techniques, handling e-waste, ensuring supply chain sustainability, and complying with regulatory requirements. These methods not only improve cooling efficiency, but also help reduce energy consumption and environmental impact. Traditional methods like Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRAC) and Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAH) are still widely used and account for 80% of all data center cooling techniques, underscoring the need for new thinking. Other techniques include:
- Liquid Cooling: This method involves circulating coolants directly to the heat-generating components. It is more efficient than air cooling, and is becoming increasingly popular, especially for high-performance computing.
- Immersion Cooling: Servers are submerged in a thermally conductive, but electrically insulating liquid. This method provides excellent heat transfer and is highly efficient, though it can be more complex and costly to implement.
- Free Cooling: Also known as economization, this technique uses outside air to cool the data center when external temperatures are low enough. This reduces the reliance on mechanical cooling systems and can significantly cut energy costs.
- Hot and Cold Aisle Containment: By separating hot and cold air streams, data centers can improve cooling efficiency. This method involves arranging server racks in alternating rows with cold air intakes facing one way, and hot air exhausts facing the other.
- Cryogenic Cooling: Although still experimental, cryogenic cooling involves using extremely cold liquids like liquid nitrogen to cool servers. This method can significantly increase computational performance but also requires substantial energy for cooling.
Moreover, industry must focus on renewable energy sources to power data centers. By integrating solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, data centers can reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and minimize their carbon footprint.
Unfortunately, data centers do contribute to water insecurity, particularly in regions where water resources are already scarce. The emphasis on sustainability and environmental impact will lead to more strategic and environmentally conscious decisions regarding the locations of future data centers. So, the next time you run a search for a cat video, think of the amount of water that was consumed to feed your thirst for fun.
Remember how hot it has been these past two years? We all have had weeks or months of sweltering heat and trying to stay cool at work or at home. However, if you were fortunate enough to work in a data center, then you had it made. Just think of being inside a data center when it is running at its perfect temperature, between 73o and 75o F? How cool would that be?! However, that coolness comes with a big environmental impact.
Data centers are water guzzlers! On average, it takes about 0.48 gallons (1.8 liters) of water to cool just one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in a datacenter. In 2022, U.S. data centers consumed approximately 200 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, or about 4% of the total U.S. electricity demand. And guess what? This figure is forecasted to rise significantly in the coming years due to the growing adoption of 5G networks, cloud-based services, and AI technologies. In addition, the data center construction market in the U.S. is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% from now to 2030. Finally, let’s not forget that data centers indirectly consume water through the electricity they use, as power plants need water for cooling during electricity generation. In the U.S., it takes approximately 2 gallons of water to generate 1 kWh of electricity.
The Path Forward
As you can imagine, the key challenges in building and operating sustainable data centers revolve around managing water and energy consumption, adopting innovative cooling techniques, handling e-waste, ensuring supply chain sustainability, and complying with regulatory requirements. These methods not only improve cooling efficiency, but also help reduce energy consumption and environmental impact. Traditional methods like Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRAC) and Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAH) are still widely used and account for 80% of all data center cooling techniques, underscoring the need for new thinking. Other techniques include:
- Liquid Cooling: This method involves circulating coolants directly to the heat-generating components. It is more efficient than air cooling, and is becoming increasingly popular, especially for high-performance computing.
- Immersion Cooling: Servers are submerged in a thermally conductive, but electrically insulating liquid. This method provides excellent heat transfer and is highly efficient, though it can be more complex and costly to implement.
- Free Cooling: Also known as economization, this technique uses outside air to cool the data center when external temperatures are low enough. This reduces the reliance on mechanical cooling systems and can significantly cut energy costs.
- Hot and Cold Aisle Containment: By separating hot and cold air streams, data centers can improve cooling efficiency. This method involves arranging server racks in alternating rows with cold air intakes facing one way, and hot air exhausts facing the other.
- Cryogenic Cooling: Although still experimental, cryogenic cooling involves using extremely cold liquids like liquid nitrogen to cool servers. This method can significantly increase computational performance but also requires substantial energy for cooling.
Moreover, industry must focus on renewable energy sources to power data centers. By integrating solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, data centers can reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and minimize their carbon footprint.
Unfortunately, data centers do contribute to water insecurity, particularly in regions where water resources are already scarce. The emphasis on sustainability and environmental impact will lead to more strategic and environmentally conscious decisions regarding the locations of future data centers. So, the next time you run a search for a cat video, think of the amount of water that was consumed to feed your thirst for fun.
