Resource water supplies are dwindling, with data centers increasingly consuming large amounts of it.
In the digital age, data centers play a crucial role in powering our online world. However, as their number and size increase, so does their impact on the environment, particularly in terms of water consumption.
Data centers, physical spaces housing IT infrastructure, consume vast amounts of water for cooling purposes. Microsoft's data center in the Netherlands, for instance, consumed 84 million liters of water in 2021. This consumption is problematic, especially in the context of water scarcity caused by climate change.
To address this issue, authorities emphasize the importance of ensuring that the water released into the environment from data centers does not contain problematic compounds and does not affect ecosystems.
Cooling data centers is essential to keep them functioning, as heat can damage components and compromise online services. Traditionally, most cooling solutions used water, either through air conditioning systems or adiabatic cooling methods. However, this approach is increasingly unsustainable, given the growing water shortages around the world.
Several strategies are being developed to reduce water consumption in data centers. One of the main approaches is the transition to zero-water cooling technologies. Companies like Microsoft are deploying closed-loop liquid cooling systems that recirculate coolant in a closed network, eliminating evaporative water loss and reducing annual water use. This system also maintains temperature stability for high-density AI workloads and has improved Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) by about 80% compared to older data centers.
Another technology is immersion cooling, which submerges servers in dielectric fluids, transferring heat much more efficiently than air, drastically reducing or eliminating water use for cooling.
Operators are also increasingly using non-potable water sources such as treated municipal wastewater, rainwater harvesting, and surface water (e.g., canals) to reduce reliance on municipal drinking water. Google, for example, uses canal water in its Netherlands data center.
Establishing and tracking metrics like Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), collecting detailed water usage data, and applying AI and machine learning to optimize water metering and cooling system performance are critical to identifying opportunities for reducing water use.
Upgrading legacy systems to more efficient cooling infrastructure also helps conserve water. Building data centers in cooler regions reduces cooling needs and water consumption by leveraging ambient cold air.
Adiabatic and hybrid fluid coolers are another solution, reducing water usage significantly compared to traditional evaporative cooling towers, especially important in dry climates.
Industry trends, such as rising AI and cloud demands, make these strategies crucial for sustainability and reducing strain on local water supplies and utilities. In Hamina, Finland, Google's data center uses seawater for cooling and returns it to the sea at a temperature close to its original.
Together, these approaches reflect an industry shift from open-loop, evaporative water cooling to closed-loop and water-free cooling designs, combined with smarter water sourcing and management to address the critical challenge of water scarcity in data center operations.
The European Commission is focusing on energy-efficient cloud computing technologies and policies for an eco-friendly cloud market. DC Mag discusses ways to reduce water consumption in data center cooling systems, providing valuable insights into this pressing issue. As the digital world continues to expand, it is essential that we find sustainable solutions to mitigate its environmental impact.
- To address the water consumption issue in data centers, companies like Microsoft are transitioning to zero-water cooling technologies, such as closed-loop liquid cooling systems that recirculate coolant in a closed network, reducing annual water use.
- Another technology for reducing water use in data centers is immersion cooling, which submerges servers in dielectric fluids, transferring heat more efficiently than air.
- Operators are also focusing on smarter water sourcing and management, using non-potable water sources like treated municipal wastewater, rainwater harvesting, and surface water, to reduce reliance on municipal drinking water.
