Data centers are the backbone of global connectivity, but the heat they generate can threaten performance, uptime, and profitability. Without effective cooling systems, even the most advanced facilities risk catastrophic failures. Since cooling systems account for nearly 50% of a data center’s energy use, selecting the right solution is critical for cost savings, operational reliability, and sustainability.
In this guide, we explore the best cooling strategies and systems to help data centers optimize for efficiency while minimizing environmental impact and operational expenses.
As data centers seek more efficient and sustainable cooling solutions, water-based strategies have gained significant traction. Unlike air-based systems, water-based cooling can offer enhanced thermal management and energy efficiency, making them an essential component of modern data center infrastructure.
Air chillers cool water to a low temperature and pass it through heat exchangers to cool warm air. While this method is less energy-efficient than evaporative cooling, it is still widely used in high-density data centers.
This strategy places air chillers directly on the server racks, drawing air through chilled heat exchangers for more localized cooling. This design increases cooling efficiency at the rack level but adds complexity and additional equipment.
Direct-to-chip-cooling is another common cooling strategy that channels cooling water through heat exchangers directly on high-performance processors, ensuring precise temperature control. While an effective method, it requires continuous water flow, increasing both operational costs and resource consumption.
As data centers continue to evolve, energy efficiency has become a critical priority. With the increasing demand for more power and cooling, data centers are exploring alternative solutions to reduce their environmental footprint and operational costs. One such option that is providing a solution is evaporative cooling.
By leveraging the natural properties of water evaporation, this method provides a cost-effective way to manage heat loads. However, it’s not only efficient, but it’s one of the most sustainable cooling strategies available today. It improves a data center’s Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), helping operators reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions, and long-term operating costs.
Evaporative cooling works by using water to absorb heat and cool the air. The process involves evaporating water into the air, which consumes heat in the process, thus cooling the surrounding environment.
There are several ways to implement evaporative cooling in data centers with most using a combination of direct and indirect evaporative cooling methods.
1. Direct Evaporative Cooling
Direct evaporative cooling cools the air inside the data center. This method passes hot air through water-saturated media, which absorbs heat as the water evaporates. It’s highly energy-efficient—using only a quarter of the power of mechanical systems—and adds moisture while constantly bringing in fresh air. However, it can over-humidify and can’t lower air temperature below a certain point. As a result, it’s often used in dry climates, for outer rooms, or as a first stage cooling option.
2. Indirect Evaporative Cooling
Indirect cooling uses heat exchangers to cool room air without direct contact with the cooling medium. This includes indirect evaporative cooling and mechanical cooling (air conditioning). Indirect systems can achieve lower temperatures, remove humidity, and keep the room air isolated—reducing contamination risk. The trade-off is lower energy efficiency, especially with fully mechanical systems.
• Energy Efficiency: Consumes about ¼ as much power as traditional cooling. • Cost Savings: Relies on ambient air, reducing energy costs. • Sustainability: Supports lower PUE, reduces emissions, and aligns with energy efficiency goals.
Kuul FirePro™ evaporative media provides the leading evaporative solution for improving data center cooling performance. Designed for high-efficiency heat reduction, Kuul FirePro enhances airflow while reducing energy consumption and offers the lowest pressure drop available on the market. Data centers using Kuul FirePro have achieved PUE values as low as 1.1 under optimal conditions—well below the industry average of 1.8
Additionally, our adiabatic systems are trusted by the world’s leading data centers and combine the power of evaporative cooling with the benefits of humidification. Ranging from standard solutions to fully bespoke systems, our adiabatic solutions are engineered to help your data center reach its cooling goals.
By using Condair’s evaporative cooling solutions, data centers can maintain stable operating temperatures, improve energy efficiency, and reduce overall cooling costs without compromising performance.
Explore our evaporative data center cooling solutions.
Mechanical cooling systems remain widely used in data centers, particularly in environments where outdoor temperatures are extreme or highly variable. These systems offer precise temperature control and can operate independently of external conditions, ensuring stable performance in diverse climates.
While mechanical cooling provides reliability, it is often associated with higher energy consumption and lower efficiency. This is why many data centers are adopting hybrid cooling approaches, which combine mechanical cooling with more energy-efficient solutions like evaporative cooling.
In a hybrid system, evaporative cooling is utilized when conditions are favorable, significantly reducing energy usage, while mechanical cooling serves as a backup during periods of high demand or less-than-ideal environmental conditions.
By integrating both technologies, data centers can achieve a balance between energy efficiency, cost savings, and performance reliability, ensuring optimal cooling regardless of external variables.
Related Article: For an in-depth look at hybrid cooling, explore the full article.
Selecting the most appropriate cooling system for your data center is crucial to ensuring both operational efficiency and long-term reliability. There are various cooling methods available, each with its unique benefits and considerations. Below, we’ll outline the factors to consider when choosing a system that best fits your needs.
1. Technical Requirements
2. Environmental & Site Factors
3. Cost Considerations
4. Sustainability Goals
While these are all factors to evaluate when choosing a cooling system for your data center, ultimately the best option is to consult with a data center cooling expert to ensure your system is optimized for your situation.
Consult one of our data center cooling engineers today for a free cooling consultation to help ensure that your system is optimized for your needs.
Choosing the right cooling solution is essential for the longevity and performance of your data center. While traditional mechanical systems have their place, evaporative cooling stands out as one of the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable options available today.
With the right systems in place, your data center can run more efficiently and more reliably, to help you lower operating costs and run more sustainably.
Want to learn more about how evaporative cooling can transform your data center?
Contact us today to schedule a consultation or explore more resources on data center cooling best practices.
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