All data centers want a cooling system that does more for less, so let’s see how the alternatives stack up. Many know of traditional air cooling, but few know of a breakthrough technology called liquid immersion cooling that is now taking the market by storm. The prevalence of liquid immersion cooling is forecast to grow by more than six times in the next five years! Furthermore, it turns out that liquid immersion cooling not only competes with air cooling —it beats it.
Data centers invest heavily in the purchase and maintenance of their cooling systems, so it pays to understand the differences between solutions. There are several elements to consider including initial costs and direct and indirect expenses over time. Going with a liquid immersion cooling system like GRC’s saves data centers money in the short and long term. Established data centers are already finding the technology a breeze to use and an invaluable asset to their companies.
One of the main advantages of immersion cooling is its ability to handle much denser server installations. Eventually, data centers will need to turn to immersion cooling since processors are becoming more power-hungry each year. It’s also easier on the environment, safer for hardware, and more versatile in terms of where you can use it and which applications it supports; making it the front-running choice for data centers across the world.
Liquid Cools Data Centers Far More Powerfully
The main reason why immersion cooling is better for data centers is that it simply does its job better than previous systems. GRC's liquid immersion cooling gives data centers over 10-20x the watts per square foot. While air can only handle 100 to 200 watts per square foot, liquid weighs in at 2,200 watts per square foot. Imagine a rack density of 184 kilowatts!
As data-intensive technologies like artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things become more widespread, processors are increasing in number and speed. They produce more heat that requires powerful immersion cooling. For data centers that have exhausted their power envelopes, immersion cooling rolls back power use to enable further expansion of servers.
Each year, accelerators are drastically increasing their wattage. Blowing air over servers simply isn’t enough to keep pace. It’s only a matter of time before liquid immersion cooling is a necessity for data centers. Immersion can cool as much computation as you care to install.
Liquid Immersion Cooling is Better for the Environment
Liquid isn’t only better for the data center, it’s also better for the planet. Immersion cooling cuts a jaw-dropping 95% of cooling electricity. It also curbs most water use while substantially decreasing carbon emissions and other harmful substances. Green is in GRC’s name for good reason. It’s almost too easy with liquid immersion cooling.
What makes this new technology so environmentally friendly? On a basic material level, liquid cools hardware much more efficiently than air can cool server systems. Therefore, liquid uses fewer resources to achieve the same level of cooling.
This leaves more resources where they belong—in the ground. They can then be used for more important applications in the future, making immersion cooling a sustainable solution. With sustainability dominating the conversation in both the general public and in boardrooms around the world, finding innovative cooling solutions for data centers is a pressing matter.
Immersion cooling is better for the environment across the board, in both the grand scheme as well as the data center’s locality. By producing less noise and making servers easier to maintain, people working in the data center can enjoy a safer, more pleasant working environment.
Immersion cooling also works more efficiently as you only need to cool the servers not the entire center. Data centers with air cooling often turn the temperature way down, which produces more pollution from excessive electricity generation. It also worsens server room conditions for staff. Liquid immersion avoids these problems entirely by delivering its cooling precisely where needed; saving money and precious resources.
Immersion Cooling Protects Servers
Data centers experience several challenges in their attempts to keep their servers running optimally. Liquid immersion cooling protects servers against many commonly occurring problems. If a data center uses air cooling, it introduces the risks of corrosion, oxidation, humidity, dust, and pollution. However, the liquid coolant in GRC’s tanks coats servers in a way that renders these particles harmless.
With immersion cooling, you also eliminate the need for server fans that contribute to wear and breakdown in air-cooled systems. Server fans vibrate and decrease the durability of your expensive hardware. Liquid immersion, on the other hand, eliminates this threat to give you more reliability and server uptime.
There are even more silent predators lurking in the data center. However, they are no match for liquid immersion. Servers exposed to high temperatures can undergo damage. So, of course, air-cooled data centers shell out loads of cash (and rely on global warming-inducing resources) to at least try to prevent it. They also suffer from hot spots due to uneven cooling.
Contrastingly, liquid cooling keeps the servers safe from hot spots and excessive temperatures. Temperatures throughout the tanks remain at safe levels, only varying a couple of degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, data centers utilizing this method experience fewer hardware failures, less downtime and data loss, and fewer dissatisfied customers.
Immersion Cooling is More Versatile
The demands placed on today’s data centers are more varied than ever. Edge data centers can expose hardware to unpredictable and dangerous conditions. Server density in enterprise and cloud data centers varies immensely as well. To mitigate all of the hazards that can arise at any moment, you need solutions that work and work well. Immersion cooling simplifies all aspects of the data center from design and construction to maintenance.
Immersion cooling works anywhere and in any type of data center. It doesn’t have the upper limits on watts that comes with air cooling. Liquid immersion cooling also doesn’t require the same complex and expensive infrastructure that limits air cooling.
Without any need for raised floors or elaborate air handlers, immersion cooling works in enterprise and edge data centers, unused rooms, and shipping containers; anywhere you desire.
GRC offers liquid immersion cooling systems suitable for specific use cases, including enterprise and cloud, edge, high-performance computing (HPC), and crypto. These tanks also work for any other data center, as they can be installed at will and handle as much compute density as you can throw at them. Simply put, the versatility of liquid immersion makes it more valuable for today’s data centers than any other cooling technology on the market.
Immersion Cooling Costs Less!
With its more powerful cooling, sustainability, versatility, protection against server damage, and other advantages, you may expect immersion cooling to cost more, but it actually costs less! GRC’s liquid immersion cooling lowers both CapEx and OpEx by 50%.
Not only does it cost less, but you can add immersion cooling in small increments. With no need to commit to large deployments, it’s easy to manage your budget while expanding at your own pace.
The cost savings in liquid immersion stem from its naturally faster cooling abilities and its incomparable simplicity. When you install immersion cooling tanks, you don’t need to spend nearly as much on accessories as you would for traditional air cooling systems. The straightforward design doesn’t rely on an army of air conditioners and backup power supplies; meaning you’ll spend even less on maintenance and operations. On the flip side, real-world customers save, on average, half of their upfront and ongoing costs by using GRC’s liquid immersion.
This is next-generation cooling technology that offers data centers a win-win solution.
Stay Cool With GRC
Liquid immersion cooling is the standout choice for data centers of any size looking to protect their investments, the planet, and their bottom line. Today’s consumers are more informed than ever, and they have proven time and again that they will sacrifice convenience to support companies that support them where it counts. Outsmart the competition with GRC’s market-leading immersion cooling solution. Let’s talk!
