Does global warming impact datacenter cooling?

Data centers have become an integral part of our Internet-connected lifestyles, binding our information infrastructure together that drives our businesses. According to the International Data Corporation, the total number of data centers in world will finally peak in 2017, reaching a total of 8.6 million. Simultaneously, world datacenter real estate will occupy an increasing amount of space, growing from 1.58 billion square feet in 2013, to a massive 1.94 billion square feet by 2018. Yet, as we push the boundaries of data storage further outward, data centers require greater amount of energy to meet these demands—and by extension, greater amounts of cooling.

Companies have taken different approaches to cooling, with many often pioneering their own techniques. Facebook, for example, strived to go green, and in doing so, built a 290,000 square-foot datacenter in Lulea, Sweden. For those of you who don't know, Lulea is located on the cusp of the Arctic Circle where temperatures sit below 30 degrees Fahrenheit for five to seven months of year while the highest temperature of the remaining months never tops 69 degrees. By building in this location, Facebook was able to forgo the air conditioning and instead use the fresh arctic air, thereby cutting power costs by a significant amount.

Google, which owned about 900,000 servers scattered throughout the world in 2013, spent about 260 million watts of electricity powering these machines—roughly equal to the cost of powering 200,000 homes—but cut costs on cooling by also using a similar “free cooling” technique reliant on cold outside air, water evaporation and thermal reservoirs in place of air conditioners.

Clever datacenter site location and architecture may play a substantial role in cooling, for now, but this may no longer be case if current temperature trends continue on course. Jokes aside, the enclosures housing electronic and IT equipment are equally responsible for their cooling. Did you know that Rittal Corporation's new Blue e+air conditioning units feature up to 75 percent energy savings compared to the traditional AC units used for enclosure climate control?

What's more, the units use a hybrid cooling process that combines a compressor cooling device with a heat pipe to improve cooling, thereby lengthening component lifespan as well. The devices are multi-voltage compatible and offer a password-protected Near-Field Communications (NFC) that allows wireless smartphone integration for real-time performance data. 

Sounds interesting so far? Fantastic, because Rittal will exhibiting the Blue e+ and more at Germany's Hannover Fair, the largest industrial trade show in the world. Better yet:

Rittal, the world’s largest enclosure manufacturer and a leader in thermal management of electrical, electronic and IT equipment, offers four lucky readers the chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to Hannover Fair 2016 with them this coming April. Check it here .