Embracing the Future of Data Centers: The Journey Towards Sustainable Liquid Cooling Solutions | Part 4
Rolf Brink
Driving the global growth and adoption of liquid cooling technologies for data centers
This is the fourth article of a five-part series, in which I am exploring the various aspects of immersion cooling and its potential to revolutionize the data center industry. The previous articles have set the stage for a green future (part 1), highlighted the challenges (part 2) which the immersion industry is facing and explained the role of OCP (part 3) in the global transition. This article highlights the importance of embracing change and how to capitalize on new opportunities. The final article will explain how stakeholders can contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.
Part 4: Embracing Change and Seizing Opportunities
Despite the significant progress being made through the Open Compute Project Foundation , there are still many in the data center industry who are resistant to change. This resistance can be attributed to the perception of risk and the fear of the unknown. However, it is essential to recognize that change always comes with opportunities, and it's crucial to determine how to benefit from them.
Overcoming resistance to Change
Consider the pandemic, which forced an immediate and radical change worldwide in record time, as businesses transitioned from office work to remote work. While the pandemic was unpredictable, the necessary tools for this shift had been developed, tested, and prepared over the past years.
In contrast, the paradigm shift for data centers is something which has been in plain sight for a decade, with the industry calling for change due to technological advancements and sustainability concerns. Despite these warnings from respected sources, the adoption of new data center technology has been slow.
The opportunities with change
The shift to liquid cooling may seem daunting, but the fundamental operation remains focused on maintaining thermal balance, just in a different way. Opportunities for growth and innovation lie in adapting and optimizing existing technologies to meet the new requirements of liquid cooling systems.
For example, understanding heat reuse potentials is another important aspect. By supplying heat to external systems, data centers can effectively receive cooling as a service, free of charge. Depending on the temperature achieved, this could even generate additional revenue, transforming energy costs into profits.
With this in mind, a supply chain can consider adding heat pumps to their portfolios in addition to chillers. Although the basic technology remains similar, the implementation changes to accommodate new cooling methods. As the technologies advance, heat pumps facilitating higher temperatures will become more viable, unlocking further opportunities for energy efficiency and cost savings.
Consolidation and simplification of infrastructures also offer opportunities for growth without expanding the data center footprint. By reducing the surface area required for cooling equipment, operators can repurpose the remaining space for other uses or avoid the need to build entirely new facilities.
Simplified infrastructures also make it easier to deploy data centers within urban areas or in the edge, enabling intelligent energy solutions and facilitating the integration of digital infrastructures in our global society. Furthermore, the transition to liquid cooling can lead to a reduction in water consumption and waste, contributing to more sustainable operations and a positive environmental impact.
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Embracing Change and preparing for a sustainable future
Throughout my career, I have been committed to driving change and innovation within the IT and data center industry, especially in the area of immersion cooling and sustainable best practices. This transition to liquid cooling and other advanced technologies presents tremendous opportunities for the data center industry. By embracing change, acknowledging the necessity for innovation, and working together, the entire industry can lay a solid foundation for the next 30 years of decarbonization and global digital infrastructure integration. Drawing from the lessons learned during the rapid and unforeseen changes prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the data center industry can accelerate the adoption of new technologies and prepare for a more sustainable and efficient future.
Question: As we explore the opportunities arising from the industry transition to liquid cooling, what other business or technology opportunities do you see emerging alongside this shift? Are there any adjacent markets or innovations that could further enhance sustainability and efficiency within the data center ecosystem?
Share your insights in the comments below, and don't miss the final article in this series, where we'll discuss how you can contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.
About Promersion
As a company that is at the forefront of the immersion cooling industry, Promersion is well-positioned to support you and provide strategic business support to companies looking to engage with liquid cooling technologies. As part of the on-going commitment to ecosystem collaboration, Promersion collaborates with industry stakeholders and promotes best practices and innovation within the liquid cooling community.
Driving the global growth and adoption of liquid cooling technologies for data centers
1 年I'm excited to share that the full "Embracing the Future of Data Centers: The Journey Towards Sustainable Liquid Cooling Solutions" series is now published! ??The series provides an in-depth exploration of the current landscape and future potential of immersion cooling technologies in the data center industry. ???Here's a summary of what each part covers: ???Setting the Stage for a Green Future: Introduces the promise of immersion cooling for sustainability and efficiency in data centers. ???Addressing Challenges in the Immersion Cooling Market: Examines the hurdles immersion cooling faces and the importance of cross-industry collaboration to address these challenges. ???The Role of Open Compute Project in Advancing Immersion Cooling: Spotlights the significant contribution of the Open Compute Project (#OCP) in the advancement of immersion cooling technology. ???Embracing Change and Seizing Opportunities: Highlights the need to adapt and seize new opportunities that come with technological advances in the industry. ???Leading by Example and Collaborating for a Sustainable Future: Ends on an inspiring note, emphasizing the importance of leading by example and collaborating for a sustainable future. All links in next comment!
Immersion Cooling Advisor & Influencer ?? 30 Years Infrastructure Power & Cooling@ Alcatex ?? Shell Immersion Cooling Fluid Brand Ambassador?? SVP @ DatanovaX - ????OCP Immersion Community Outreach Lead
1 年Excellent Series and such a great deep dive into all aspects of this amazing Technology! Thank you for you’re leadership Rolf Brink
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1 年Wyoming Hyperscale, the company I founded, recognizes immense potential in the transition to liquid cooled data center ecosystems. What about adjacent markets and innovations, you ask? Firstly, opportunities for specialized equipment are emerging. As data centers transition, advanced liquid cooling technologies will exhibit escalating demand. Companies that provide our cutting-edge cooling system components will likely move to the forefront of a booming market. Secondly, the transition opens new opportunities for innovation in energy efficiency and sustainability. By leveraging these cooling methods, DCs can achieve remarkable gains in energy efficiency, reducing their environmental impact and transferring heat to productive applications. New cooling systems thus further enhance sustainability. Thirdly, the transition enables advancements in water management and conservation. Since liquid cooling relies on the circulation of liquids, technologies that avoid water consumption are crucial to creating sustainable data center ecosystems. Wyoming Hyperscale aims to remain active at the forefront of these opportunities, driving the industry forward while prioritizing sustainability and efficiency.
Senior Principal @ Supermicro
1 年It's a great question Rolf, what else starts to change as #immersioncooling and #liquidcooling continues to accelerate adoption? From my perspective, in today's global #datacenter market most business models underpinning these investments are set on project funding and designed to run as is unchanged for two-ish decades. Almost like a Self-Storage site, there are hard walled and wired physical spaces, with questionable security and virtually no insurance or protection. I think we may see a new leasing unit emerge taking over from the rack, the cubic meter of tanked coolant managed and unmanaged....
Breaking down barriers to sustainability, accessibility, and cost-efficiency... an open approach to data center infrastructure is essential for achieving a more sustainable future.
1 年Immersion captures the most amount of "waste" heat and provides massive opportunities for connected industries. Indeed, agriculture could be a great consumer of heat to increase production. I have seen data that 1MW of power = 1 acre of farming. (See QScale and Wyoming Hyperscale.) Year-round/indoor grow facilities will reduce their operating costs and improve their output. This approach will be a boost to this industry, the data appears clear on this. Beyond agri., manufacturing could save energy and ?? by using data center heat to pre-heat liquid for industrial heat processes. Heat reuse in things like swimming pools and in residential applications with dense populations may work well in Europe but is often dismissed in North America. We should not ignore heat reuse because in one form it is not practical. In NA we need to continue to look at more closely coupled approaches to warrant the investment and see a feasible ROI.