Data centers are consuming unprecedented amounts of water. Cooling systems within the data center are typically a driving force behind this water consumption as their operating needs have grown to massive volumes.
With growing demand for their resources and increasing capacity needs, data center water needs aren’t going away any time soon. However, these water demands in their cooling systems raise significant sustainability concerns and negatively impact your bottom line.
These kinds of numbers are unsustainable. As a result, many industry leaders have recently committed to going water neutral by 2030, including companies like AWS, Google, and Meta.
Thankfully, by leveraging existing technologies, like evaporative cooling, in innovative ways and continuing to improve their efficiency with new advancements, data centers and other industries can see improvements in their water demands.
These technologies are designed with both the environment and your business goals in mind, helping you to lower costs and more easily achieve your sustainability goals.
Let’s take a look at how evaporative cooling plays a role in sustainable operations and water conservation.
The shifting focus to water-neutral operations requires data centers to rethink the way they approach cooling. Many see this change as a transition to chilled water cooling or direct-to-chip cooling, but the solution will need to be a balance of technologies based on specific needs.
Evaporative cooling continues to stand out as a leading cooling solution. By leveraging this technology in traditional and new ways, you can reduce water and energy usage while offering the same, or often more effective, cooling than alternative options.
Both as a standalone system, but also leveraging it as a support system, evaporative cooling can be a difference maker.
The rate at which water evaporates is mainly related to the load on the system. System operators can optimize their water quality to increase cycles of concentration which will help, but these have diminishing returns after 3.5-4.0 cycles when it comes to water consumption. Real water savings, however, occur with modifying cooling hours.
Lowering the cooling hours required for a system has a linear correlation to lowering power and water consumption. The reason evaporative media is so effective in conserving water lies in its ability to expand a cooling envelope and demand less of the system, therefore cutting down on water and power cost.
Leaders in the data center industry, on average, use 1-2 billion gallons of water per year to keep equipment cool. Google, AWS, Microsoft and other major players in the industry have all put programs in place to conserve water, create more sustainable operations, and limit the negative impact on the environment.
ASHRAE Recommended & Allowable Operating Temperature Ranges
In 2021, Google launched an initiative to integrate ways to reduce water consumption into its operations that included setting a goal to replenish 120% of the water its data centers and offices use.
In the past, Google followed a standard practice of keeping its data centers at a chilly 64 degrees. After experimenting with raising the temperatures in its data centers (in accordance with the ASHRAE allowable temperature ranges pictured to the right), the data giant realized that it could operate at 80 degrees without sacrificing performance or reliability. This allowed Google to expand from a limited set of cooling options to also using evaporative cooling methods to function as a support system to mechanically demanding cooling systems.
The list of applications realizing the potential benefits of evaporative media continues to grow. Evaporative technology is expanding into areas within data centers where it hasn’t been seen before. These areas present new opportunities with varying water qualities and ambient air conditions. Condair has been working to support these expanding needs to help leading data centers understand how evaporative technology can be properly utilized in new ways.
Condair’s Kuul™ Evaporative Media offers an industry-leading solution. It serves as a proven alternative to more expensive cooling options and improves sustainability in certain situations and applications. Condair leverages the latest advancements in humidification and evaporative cooling technologies to build tailored solutions for our clients.
Our market-leading Kuul™ Evaporative Media offers many benefits and can help data centers reduce their water consumption significantly. A few highlights include:
Our team of engineers works directly with your data center to assess things like location, alternative water sources, and the impact evaporative media can have on your operations. We bring vast experience from working with the world’s largest data centers and are invested in becoming a true partner in your growth.
The increasing reliance on energy production to power most industries today demands a stronger focus on sustainability and efficiency. Traditional humidification and cooling methods, which have been the backbone of cooling for over a century, are now being re-evaluated due to their environmental impact and their significant energy consumption levels.
The demand for cooling efficiency and power in data centers is not going to stop. Cooling and humidification methods are going to have to continue to evolve and innovate to meet these demands while ensuring a sustainable future. There are several solutions that are helping to meet this need and will be critical as we look toward the future.
For instance, hybrid cooling systems that combine the benefits of both liquid and evaporative cooling technologies are gaining traction in the industry. Hybrid cooling solutions combining evaporative media and chillers can drive efficiency. These systems not only enhance cooling efficiency but also contribute to significant water conservation, addressing both operational demands and environmental concerns.
Our engineers continue to investigate the potential impact of utilizing anti-scalants and corrosion inhibitors in evaporative cooling systems. The theory is that this will allow these systems to use varying water qualities. This will only increase their viability in usage for data centers worldwide.
With an eye toward the future, we will continue to drive innovation in cooling and humidification technologies that not only meet the increasing system demands but also align with global sustainability goals. By embracing these innovations, we can achieve efficient temperature management and reduce water usage while minimizing environmental impact, paving the way for a more sustainable future.
Discover the Condair difference. Contact us today to learn how you can partner with us to make your operations more efficient and sustainable and reduce water consumption.
Contact the Condair team to learn how your operations can leverage evaporative media technologies to lower water usage and create a more sustainable, cost-effective business.
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