There are two essential components for the reliable operation of data centers: electrification and cooling solutions. Properly configuring, optimizing, and implementing these two systems, along with the latest technological advances, reduces data center operating costs, minimizes the risk of downtime, and ensures environmental sustainability.
What are electrification and cooling solutions?
Electrical solutions cover all systems related to data center power supply and distribution — transformers, UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), generators, power distribution panels, and DC/AC conversion mechanisms.
Cooling solutions are systems that maintain the internal thermal balance of data centers: air cooling, liquid cooling, hot aisle/cold aisle containment, free cooling (using outdoor air) or hybrid systems. These solutions prevent accidents and optimize energy consumption by providing ideal temperature and humidity conditions for server equipment.
Why are “electrification and cooling solutions” vital for the data center?
- It accounts for a large portion of energy costs. In data centers, cooling systems account for 35-40% of the total energy consumption. For example, a McKinsey report shows that cooling accounts for approximately 40% of energy consumption. (Boyd | Trusted Innovation)
- Reduction of Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). PUE is a metric that measures the ratio of total energy used in a data center to the energy used by IT equipment alone. A lower PUE indicates better energy efficiency. In modern large data centers, ideal PUE values are around 1.2-1.3, although the average PUE is still around 1.5-1.6. (Boyd | Trusted Innovation)
- Environmental and climate impact. Environmental burdens arise due to heat buildup, reduced equipment life, and increased water and energy consumption. Environmental regulations and sustainability goals require the optimization of cooling systems.
- Business continuity and reliability. Power outages and cooling system failures can lead to critical temperature increases in servers, which can lead to hardware problems, data loss, and service outages.
Modern trends and technologies
In the field of "electrification and cooling solutions", the following technologies have been gaining popularity in recent years:
- Liquid cooling. This technology collects heat generated by servers directly through a liquid and transfers it to the cooling system. It is more efficient than traditional air cooling systems (fan energy consumption is reduced, heat dissipation is faster). (Digital Realty)
- Free cooling and economizer systems. When outdoor temperatures are low, outdoor air or free air cycle units are actively used to reduce the load on cooling systems. Vertiv studies have shown that such systems significantly reduce cooling costs. (Vertiv)
- Hot aisle / cold aisle content and airflow management. Efficient placement of server racks and proper airflow routing (preventing mixing of exhaust and cold air flow) reduces air and energy loss in cooling systems. (Boyd | Trusted Innovation)
- Smart sensors and AI-assisted control systems. Parameters such as temperature, humidity, and airflow are monitored in real time through sensors, and specific cooling modes are automatically adjusted using AI and reinforcement learning models. In one study, an offline reinforcement learning system achieved 14-21% energy savings in a data center cooling system. (archive)
- Underground cooling energy storage (Cold UTES). Underground storage facilities are being used to collect cold energy during peak hours of grid load to reduce energy costs and manage cooling loads. This approach is currently being studied for commercial potential. (NREL)
- Quality and efficiency of electrical energy. Approaches such as high-efficiency UPS systems, reduced power transmission losses, DC distribution, and optimization of power input at higher voltages are becoming popular. Especially in AI-loaded racks, the loss of power also affects cooling costs. (TechRadar)
Technical approaches and application examples
The following technical approaches are useful for successfully implementing “electrification and cooling solutions”:
- Redundant construction of network electrical systems. UPS, generator and alternative network lines if possible. Checking electrical devices for compliance with regulations, selecting reliable transformers and distribution panels.
- High efficiency UPS and PDU systems. UPS "eco-mode" modes, selection of high efficiency (e.g. 96-98%) models, load balancing.
- Airflow control. Servers should be placed according to the hot aisle / cold aisle rule, gaps and clutter should be eliminated, exhaust-cold air mixing should be prevented. It is important to avoid errors with cold air ducts and to have proper insulation.
- Application of liquid cooling systems. With the use of technologies such as rack-scale liquid cooled racks and immersion cooling, energy and cooling costs are significantly reduced in server clusters with high heat density.
- Free cooling, economizer use models. In regions where outdoor weather conditions are available, the cooling load is relieved from mechanical systems by using outside air or water. These models must be properly designed to address issues such as air contaminants, humidity, and protection of ventilation systems.
- Adaptive cooling planning to energy prices. Adjusting the cooling modes of devices when electricity tariffs change; reducing the load during peak hours; this approach can save on electricity bills. (archive)
Difficulties and possible obstacles
Several challenges may arise during the construction and optimization of “electrification and cooling solutions” systems. Power constraints of the previous electrical grid, poor quality power supply and old models of components such as transformers and UPS cause energy losses. In this case, an updated and certified electrical infrastructure is required.
The second major challenge is the climate of the region; in very hot and humid regions, the application of free cooling systems may be limited. Also, in places where water resources are limited, evaporative cooling or liquid cooling systems must use water efficiently.
Liquid cooling systems are great for high heat density, but the initial investment, maintenance costs, and risks (leakage, storage) during system setup must be considered. The team should design with these vulnerabilities in mind, involving experts and trusted suppliers.
B2B Group's Approach to Electrification and Cooling Solutions
B2B Group has strong experience in this field and offers various electrification and cooling solutions to increase energy efficiency and minimize costs in data centers.
- Redundant design of electrical distribution and energy supply systems
- Efficient selection of UPS and generator systems; application of high efficiency modules
- Integration of free cooling or hybrid cooling systems, taking into account climate and regional conditions
- Application of liquid cooling and rack-level cooling technologies for high-density servers
- Deployment of temperature and humidity sensors in networks, automatic control and optimization with a real-time monitoring system
Electrification and cooling solutions in data centers are critical factors not only for reducing costs, but also for ensuring reliability, durability and environmental sustainability. To achieve high efficiency, it is important to use modern technologies, take into account the climatic and energy conditions of the region and build optimized systems.
What can you do?
If you want to optimize electrification and cooling solutions in your data center, reduce your energy costs, and increase equipment stability, B2B Group is at your side with its professional team. Now contact keep it, minimize future operating costs and risks!
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