Data centre operators are currently facing a significant challenge. The rise of AI is forcing the need for greater computing power and this, in turn, is leading to higher energy consumption. At the same time, new sustainability-based regulations and rising customer expectations are emphasizing the need for more sustainable operations. This puts data centre operators in a predicament – how can they address the technological demands being placed on them without compromising on performance or sustainability?
Liquid cooling and the drivers for adoption
Nvidia, with its range of high-performance graphics processing unit (GPU) architecture such as the Nvidia Blackwell, is pushing data centre power densities from 70 kW per IT rack to 120 kW. Likewise, with ever more powerful servers, GPUs and central processing units (CPUs) often consuming over 300 W - 400 W of power, future projections indicate these levels could double or even triple within the next 5 - 7 years. Intel envisions a future where chip density increases tenfold, potentially enabling the integration of a trillion transistors within a single chip package by 2030.
This type of immense computing power results in high temperatures being concentrated in small areas, something that conventional air cooling can no longer deal with effectively. Put simply, air, as a cooling medium, has reached its physical limits since it cannot store or transfer enough heat. In contrast, liquid is up to 1,000 times more efficient as a cooling medium. Therefore, liquid cooling, once considered a ‘nice to have’ solution, is rapidly becoming essential in today’s high-performance computing landscape.
The rapid evolution of AI, and the technology needed to facilitate it, inevitably intersects with the data centre industry’s sustainability goals and net-zero targets. As a result, as well as a need for innovative and energy efficient cooling solutions, data centre operators are facing new challenges from an ecological perspective, with greater sustainability now required.
To illustrate this point, the Energy Efficiency Directive was adopted by the European Commission in September 2023 and includes a requirement to monitor the energy performance of data centres. This involves the creation of a European Union (EU) wide database to collect and publish relevant data. Data centres operating in the EU with an installed information technology power demand of at least 500 kW must report key performance indicators to a European database for sustainability assessment.
There are various country specific regulations in place too, such as the German Energy Efficiency Act, which came into force in October 2023. This sets specific targets for energy consumption effectiveness and stipulates obligatory PUE targets for data centres based on when they first began operation. A data centre operating before 1st July 2026 will need to have a PUE metric of 1.5 from July 2027 and 1.3 from July 2030. For facilities operating from 1st July 2026, the PUE target will be 1.2.
This all results in a dilemma – performance and sustainability are required in equal measure but are contradictory in terms of implementation…
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