Managers of data centers around the world are scratching their heads to figure out how to make their facilities more sustainable. This is because a staggering 75% of data centers see sustainability as a competitive advantage. Such a notable change in perspective comes in response to the growing environmental problems caused by data centers and the IT industry. To achieve this lofty yet necessary goal, industry leaders must learn to reduce waste while increasing efficiency to keep businesses running without negatively impacting the environment.
Meanwhile, data centers will soon consume one-tenth of all the electricity we produce! In the process, they eject millions of tons of carbon emissions per year. The IT sector is overtaking the economy in both size and resulting environmental problems.
The biggest contributor to data centers’ environmental impacts is their inefficient cooling systems. That’s right, the energy wasted when blowing cold air over servers has a devastating effect on the planet. That’s why a growing number in the industry are excited about a new technology: single-phase liquid immersion cooling.
This green innovation by GRC makes sustainability a snap. It provides superior data center cooling at a lower cost while protecting the environment. Sustainability shouldn’t feel like a punishment. Now you can increase your profits while making operations safe for everyone.
What is Single-Phase Immersion Cooling?
Immersion cooling refers to the act of immersing servers in a bath of coolant, taking traditional air cooling out of the mix entirely. Currently, it comes in two varieties; single-phase and two-phase. Single-phase immersion cooling is the more economically viable of these options. As its name implies, this technique involves a single phase of matter for the coolant—liquid.
Conversely, with two-phase cooling, the coolant alternates between liquid and gas. While this is an interesting concept, it hasn’t panned out well in practice due to its cost, complexity, and environmental impact.
The advantages of single-phase immersion cooling include its extremely simple design, which results in lower CapEx and OpEx and higher reliability. The liquid pulls heat out of the servers efficiently while also serving as a protective barrier against corrosion and other hazards. This efficiency is measured by the “power usage effectiveness” (PUE), where a score of 1 is ideal and a score of 2 indicates that the data center wastes half its electricity on cooling. Single-phase liquid immersion scores a near-perfect 1.02 to 1.03. Older cooling technologies fare far worse, scoring in the range of 1.6 to 2.0.
In essence, single-phase immersion cooling is today’s leading technology to cool data center hardware.
Single-Phase Immersion Cooling CAN Enable Sustainability
In addition to its other advantages, such as larger cooling capacity and lower cost, single-phase immersion cooling offers a useful solution to improving sustainability. GRC’s single-phase cooling efficiently removes 100% of server heat. Even better, it emits only a fraction of the energy and byproducts of older cooling technologies, making single-phase the clear choice for sustainability-minded organizations.
With single-phase immersion cooling, your data center can cut out 95% of its cooling energy use, and 50% of its total maintenance and energy costs. That also translates into fewer carbon emissions. Needless to say, upgrading to single-phase immersion is the smartest choice you can make for sustainability.
Due to the higher energy efficiency of liquid immersion, companies using GRC’s products can win grants from governments and utilities. Data centers can also save on floor space while reducing electrical infrastructure.
Furthermore, single-phase immersion only uses green products so it poses virtually zero threat in terms of global warming. The coolant is safe for the planet. Two-phase immersion systems, on the other hand, use substances with much higher global warming potential than even carbon and methane and are chemically reactive.
Whether you compare single-phase immersion to two-phase or any of the older cooling methods, single-phase comes out on top as the cooling solution for sustainability every time. It uses fewer resources to accomplish more cooling, enabling data centers to safely serve consumers long-term.
Data Centers With Single-Phase Have Even More Environmental Benefits
The implementation of single-phase immersion cooling produces widespread environmental benefits. Data centers using this technology decrease their e-waste. Parts last longer and the cooling system is simpler so there’s less need to throw away electrical and electronic equipment.
Submerging servers in the liquid coolant keeps debris, moisture, hot spots, and oxidation at bay. Immersion-cooled servers are less subject to problems with solder joints or electrostatic discharge. You also no longer need server fans, eliminating a source of vibrations. All of these issues influence how long your hardware lasts. Liquid immersion cooling keeps parts running longer.
Practically any resource in the data center stands to benefit from single-phase cooling. GRC’s immersion cooling can decrease carbon footprints by 40%, real estate footprints by 30%, and water use by an astounding 8 million gallons per megawatt!
This cooling technology will allow society to advance to 5G, IoT, AI, and other innovations without breaking the bank or harming the environment. It’s a high-performance, eco-friendly solution that’s come along at just the right time.
Additionally, single-phase immersion cooling enables server heat to be recycled for other purposes, such as district heating. This introduces possibilities like sustainable agriculture and is even starting to be mandated by regulations. It’s almost too good to be true. Not surprisingly, leading data centers are already taking the plunge!
Go Green With GRC
Now’s the time to go with GRC’s environmentally sustainable single-phase liquid immersion solution. This technology eliminates much of the need for electricity in data centers and its unsightly byproducts. Unlike its counterparts, it uses materials and functions to mitigate the risks of global warming. And it even extends the longevity of IT equipment to trim down e-waste.
GRC’s single-phase cooling also lets you recycle waste heat to be productive. However you look at it, this technology represents a brilliant new era for sustainable data centers. Immersion cooling protects the environment and your investment. Deploy more servers, save money, and make your data center and our planet greener. Talk to GRC today!
