There’s been a recent uptick in attention to green cooling solutions. Is this just a fad, or will it affect the long-term direction of the industry? Increasingly powerful processors need more efficient heat dissipation. As a result, more data centers are opting for environmentally sustainable cooling solutions such as liquid immersion. It turns out there are several compelling reasons for the cooling industry to go green.
This is a long-term development in which data centers and the wider economy upgrade to ecological solutions. In fact, we can see the pattern of steady growth in green technology throughout the global economy. Society is demanding this progress, but it’s economically beneficial for data center operators as well. Green cooling solutions can keep data centers running while lowering construction and operating costs substantially.
The transition to environmentally friendly cooling has been underway long enough and grown stably enough that one can confidently see it’s more than just a flash in the pan. Rather, data center cooling is joining the broader economy in moving to highly resource-efficient and productive technologies.
However, it’s not just about technology. It’s also about adopting the right practices to create green data centers. With the appropriate measurements and efforts, any organization can go green. And each year, an increasing number of data centers are doing so.
New Interest in Green Cooling Solutions
Data center operators are installing green cooling solutions in new facilities and when they upgrade existing facilities. And with the challenges facing the continued operation of traditional air cooling, interest in a more sustainable alternative is growing steadily.
While air cooling has worked in the past, data center operators and the public are realizing the unsustainable hidden costs. For example, because air cooling doesn’t transport heat efficiently, it uses a lot of electricity; much of which is generated by burning fossil fuels. The outdated technology also has high upfront and operating expenses and can add months-long delays to build-outs.
Now, there are environmentally friendly cooling solutions on the market that are high-performing and affordable. Prime among these is liquid immersion cooling, which runs servers in a fluid that efficiently dissipates heat. There are also alternatives that use cold plates or cold outdoor air, but these have their own limitations compared to immersion.
For companies using green cooling, motivations include protecting the environment and protecting their own reputation. Investors are of course interested in the returns from more efficient cooling. For the public, interest in green cooling solutions is part of a wider interest in green technologies and sustainability. And regulators are also paying attention, with laws increasingly favoring green cooling and limiting older cooling techniques.
The Global Economy is Going Green
Green technology isn’t just relevant to server centers—and it’s not just what’s hot this year. Rather, the entire global economy is on a long-term course toward greener pastures. For years now, a range of environmentally sustainable products and practices have come to market, taking a larger share of practically every industry. Environmental innovation is not about to go away.
Green energy, green transportation, and green architecture are just a few examples of this widespread and enduring pattern. People in every sector have seen the rising tolls of a reliance on polluting technology. They have said, “Enough!” and are busy working toward a cleaner future.
In some regards, the data center industry has been slow to adapt. For years, while other industries have embraced green technology, data centers have plodded along with their old air cooling. However, this is no longer tenable. With IT taking on a more prominent role in society each year, the public and regulators—and savvy data center operators—are pushing for green cooling solutions.
Cooling is the biggest drain on unsustainable electricity sources supporting the IT load. In some cases, air cooling uses even more electricity than the servers. To align itself with the global economy, the data center industry should switch to green cooling solutions like Green Revolution Cooling’s (GRC) resource-efficient liquid immersion system.
Green Cooling Solutions Are Reshaping Server Rooms of the Future
The technology behind green cooling has matured considerably and is already increasing its presence. Server rooms of the future will take energy-efficient cooling for granted, as cars are rapidly transitioning to electric power and countries are installing massive amounts of renewable energy-generating capacity.
Data centers will continue to deploy technology like liquid immersion cooling to slash electricity use, toxic emissions, and water waste. The pattern is widespread and consistent: green cooling is joining other green technologies in reshaping society for the better.
In addition, the economy needs more data with each passing year. To meet this demand, data centers are growing in number and size and, thus, having more impact on the environment. These pressures combine to make green cooling solutions the future of data center cooling, not just a craze.
There are also social, economic, and political forces directing data centers toward technologies like single-phase liquid immersion cooling. It’s the same reason other sectors such as transportation and energy are making such a strong shift. Eventually, the entire tech industry will adopt sustainable cooling. But companies that start sooner will have a leg up on the competition.
Sustainable cooling has achieved technical superiority over conventional air cooling. For example, GRC’s liquid immersion system keeps servers at a more even temperature, prevents corrosion and mechanical failures, and has a much lower total cost than air cooling. Green cooling can and will enable sustainability in data centers.
Prepare for the Future With GRC
Data centers are well on their way to using green cooling solutions as a standard technology. The industry has seen consistent migration to eco-friendly technology like liquid immersion cooling, so we can safely say green cooling is more than just a fad. This lines up with the even longer-term shift in thinking throughout the broader economy and society. The future is green.
However, you don’t have to wait for the future to make your data center green. Innovative technology is already available to keep your servers cool at lower cost to the environment and to your budget. GRC has pioneered the industry-defining sustainable cooling solution: single-phase liquid immersion. Contact GRC to begin your green cooling journey today.
