Equipped for the future: From air cooling to liquid cooling
Ten times higher power density – new demands on the infrastructure
One thing these new technologies all have in common is that they all require a huge amount of processing power in a small space. Here’s a comparison to give you an idea of the scale: While traditional enterprise architectures can function perfectly well with less than 10 kilowatts of power per rack, modern AI systems need 50 to 100 kilowatts of power per rack to compute AI applications or smaller-scale language models.
It is technically possible to provide this electrical capacity in modern data centers today. Provided the power supply has been designed to handle such levels of power, that is. The bigger challenge lies in cooling. And this is where traditional data centers fall short – because it’s not easy to convert old data centers to new cooling methods.
How can you cool a 100-kilowatt rack efficiently? Air cooling alone is not enough to handle these power requirements.
“Our latest data center designs are drawn up with future requirements and high power densities in mind. Liquid cooling plays a key part in our solution.”
From air cooling to liquid cooling: Green drives innovation
Green is constantly refining its data center designs. “Conventional air cooling is efficient up to a power density of around 30 kilowatts per rack. For higher requirements, the use of liquid cooling is a good solution,” says Andrea Campomilla, COO at Green.
Green was quick off the mark in driving the development of new cooling technologies, which it is now successfully implementing: It has designed its first data center with a hybrid air and liquid-to-the-chip cooling system for the Metro-Campus Zurich. This large liquid-cooled data center – the first of its kind in Switzerland – is scheduled to go into operation in 2026.
How future-ready is your data center? We’d be happy to show you opportunities for further development. |
Hybrid cooling solutions: Flexibility for a wide range of requirements
Not every environment requires liquid cooling throughout. That’s why Green has gone down the path of hybrid cooling solutions – a combination of air cooling and liquid cooling. This method is suitable, for example, for AI clusters operating in the same customer zone and comprising both specialized high-performance hardware and traditional network and storage components. Server power supply units will also continue to require air cooling.
Since cooling requirements vary greatly depending on the relevant hardware, hybrid approaches are an energy-efficient, cost-effective solution. The days of “one size fits all” are definitely over.
“Efficient cooling means adapting the method specifically to the hardware and its power requirements.”
Green is already implementing its solution in first-look new hybrid cooling systems, including hybrid cooling for a new sovereign AI cloud.
Are you future-proof?
New technologies are advancing apace in terms of development and use. Are you ready for them? Green data centers have you covered, ensuring you’re strategically well-positioned to take on the future. With designs that offer solutions for high power density applications today – and that are constantly being refined to meet the requirements of the future.
Cooling technologies at a glance
There are four main types of data center cooling technology:
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Air Cooling
This is the most common cooling method, used as standard in many data centers today. Air is circulated through the racks to cool the hardware. Enclosed racks and the perfect balance of temperature and air flow make this a highly efficient method. Different variants are possible. At power densities above 30 kilowatts per rack though, air cooling alone reaches its limits and hybrid solutions are called for.
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Liquid Cooling
This method cools specific components directly using liquid, often via cooling plates or liquid circuits that are routed in the immediate vicinity of the intense heat-producing components. Liquid cooling is considered significantly more efficient than air cooling because it removes heat directly at the source. Studies show that liquid cooling can be up to 30% more energy efficient than air cooling in server operations, since less energy has to be expended for cooling and higher power densities can be supported.
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Single-phase immersion cooling
In single-phase immersion cooling, the computer components are submerged in a non-conductive coolant that effectively absorbs the heat and then dissipates it through a heat exchanger. The advantage of this method is the ability to handle high power densities. The maintenance and repair costs for Immersion Cooling are considerably higher and require specially trained personnel.
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Two-phase immersion cooling
This cooling method leverages the evaporation of a special coolant directly on the hot surfaces of the hardware. The coolant evaporates and rises; it then condenses back into a liquid and is returned to the components. This cooling process is particularly efficient, since the evaporation energy dissipates the heat directly, facilitating even higher power densities. The maintenance and repair costs for Immersion Cooling are considerably higher and require specially trained personnel.
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