Articles

The rise of AI workloads has created demand for high‑density, energy‑efficient data center capacity, specifically to support liquid cooled equipment.  Bitcoin mining facilities have emerged as strong candidates for brownfield conversion, even as they still operate massive, uniform compute loads.  Their existing infrastructure, industrial zoning, and large‑scale power interconnections offer a head start.  Yet converting…

As liquid cooling becomes a defining feature of next generation data centers—particularly those supporting AI, HPC, and dense GPU clusters—the quality of the water circulating through cold plates, rear door heat exchangers, and secondary loops has emerged as a critical determinant of system reliability. Water filtration, once treated as a peripheral maintenance concern, now sits…

Air-cooled chillers (ACCs) have emerged as the dominant mechanical cooling solution for data centers of all scales, offering meaningful advantages in water conservation, reduced infrastructure complexity, and faster deployment timelines compared to tower-based water-cooled alternatives. However, these benefits carry tradeoffs in thermodynamic efficiency — particularly at elevated ambient temperatures — that must be rigorously quantified…

The most resilient data center engineering cultures share a trait that is simple yet difficult to practice: the ability to stay patient, methodical, and collaborative when the pressure to accelerate is at its peak. Modern hyperscale programs operate in a paradox, as demand curves rise exponentially, supply chains remain volatile, and design inputs often arrive…

Development of Arch3 and Arch4 Over the past decade, data‑center power architecture has undergone a quiet but profound transformation.  As compute density accelerated, first through cloud virtualization and later through AI GPU clusters, the traditional model of distributing AC power into the data hall space and relying on thousands of small, server‑integrated power supplies began…

The Digital Backbone Meets Local Backlash As the digital age surges forward, data centers have become the invisible engines powering everything from artificial intelligence to streaming video and cloud computing. Yet, what was once considered a silent pillar of progress is now at the center of a growing storm. Across the United States and internationally,…

Data Centers Cause Chem Trails… and Other Myths If you spend enough time in the sustainability world, you eventually encounter a special genre of misinformation, the kind that blends half‑remembered science, late‑night YouTube confidence, and a deep suspicion of anything with blinking lights.   Because data centers are large, mysterious, and full of equipment that hums…

1. Meta – New Albany, Ohio (Liquid‑Cooled AI Expansion) Meta’s 2026 New Albany expansion is its first U.S. campus designed from the ground up for direct‑to‑chip (DLC) liquid cooling as the default thermal architecture.  The new AI hall uses warm‑water cooling loops (30–45°C supply) feeding high‑flow cold plates mounted directly on Blackwell‑generation GPUs, with facility‑scale…

A data center represents a significant investment in both capital and operational resources, designed to deliver high availability, concurrent maintainability, and future-proof scalability for mission-critical workloads.  Establishing an effective engineering and design group to comprehensively design such a facility is a complex, multidisciplinary endeavor requiring careful coordination across technical domains, stakeholder interfaces, and project phases.…

Projected Trends and Capacity Allocations for Cloud, AI Training, and AI Inference Workloads (2025–2035) The next decade will be defined by more transformation in data center infrastructure, driven by the explosive growth of cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) training, and AI inference workloads.  As digitalization accelerates across every sector, the demand for compute, storage, and…

Comparative Synopsis: The challenge of decarbonizing the energy that supports data centers is now one of the most urgent and complex systemic puzzles facing the modern age. Two recently read works (Jean-Baptiste Fressoz’s More and More and More and Bill Gates’s How to Avoid a Climate Disaster) offer contrasting and complementary frameworks for understanding and…

GPU server racks are the industrial workhorses behind AI training, scientific simulations, and real-time analytics.  To understand their operational footprint, especially in terms of water, power, and auxiliary systems, it helps to step into a more familiar setting: your kitchen. Let’s imagine a GPU rack as a high-end dishwasher.  This could be the quiet, energy-efficient…

Large industrial facilities such as aluminum smelting plants demand sustained, high-current power that can fluctuate rapidly and threaten grid stability. Managing the millisecond-scale power oscillations of large industrial loads and AI workloads requires a comprehensive strategy combining monitoring, grid-side damping, load-side conditioning, and operational coordination. Lessons from Alcoa’s smelting operations provide a blueprint. Adapting these…

Investing your money can be extremely stressful and knowing exactly when to invest and which company to invest in can be even more so, especially since data centers may be a foreign industry to most. While many find investing to be a second nature those who might not have the time or patience to research…

Leading Countries United States: The United States stands out as the global leader in data center construction and energy consumption. In particular, the Northern Virginia market is home to over 8,000 data centers, underscoring the scale of the nation’s digital infrastructure. This region alone is estimated to contribute a substantial portion of the nation’s energy…

What is Geothermal Energy? Geothermal systems utilize heat from the earth to generate heat. The geo in Geothermal stands for the earth and the thermal stands for the heat generated. The earth’s core generates a great deal of heat, this heat warms up pockets of water and rock. This is where the geothermal system steps…

Different Strategies for Sustainable Land use Conservation tillage and cover cropping Conservation tillage and cover cropping are agricultural practices designed to improve soil health, enhance sustainability, and reduce environmental impact. Conservation tillage minimizes soil disturbance by reducing the frequency and depth of plowing, helping to preserve soil structure, moisture retention, and beneficial microorganisms. By leaving…

As server densities rise and AI workloads drive higher power demands, advanced water cooling technologies have become essential to support deployments at the server, rack, and row levels.  From chip-level liquid cooling to rear-door heat exchangers, flushing cooling loops play a vital role in maintaining operational efficiency, removing contaminants, and extending the lifespan of cooling…

The data center industry has experienced explosive growth over the past decade, driven by the increasing demand for AI workloads, cloud computing, and digital transformation. In 2025 signs of oversupply have begun to emerge, with major players scaling back data center leases and analysts warning of a potential market correction.  The Boom The rapid expansion…

Data centers in colder climates can significantly reduce energy consumption by leveraging economizers to take advantage of naturally low ambient temperatures. Water-side economizers, for instance, can use cold outdoor air to lower the temperature of the chilled water loop, reducing or even eliminating the need for mechanical chillers during colder months. This process, known as…

Data Center Investment to Exit Process Investing in a data center involves a structured process, from capital deployment to eventual cash-out or exit, whether through operational cash flow, refinancing, M&A, or public listing.  Investing in data centers usually follows a structured lifecycle, from initial capital deployment to eventual cash-out, with different strategies depending on the…

General Unit Conversions After requests to add common units and metrics to the site, here are tables to help with looking up common data center and engineering conversions. Quantity Metric Unit Imperial Unit Conversion Factor Length 1 meter (m) 3.28084 feet (ft) 1 m = 3.28084 ft 1 centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inches (in) 1 cm…

Using AI to Design an AI Data Center Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming data center design by optimizing power efficiency, cooling, and operational workflows.  As AI workloads grow, traditional methods of designing and managing data centers are being pushed to increase their limits.  AI-driven data center design is a tool that can help maximum efficiency,…

Expanding Data Center Energy Strategies Locating data centers near hydroelectric dams is a compelling strategy for achieving 100% renewable energy usage.  However, as global data center power demand rises, alternative energy sources such as natural gas, nuclear, wind, and solar must also be considered in the mix.  The timing of additional power generation facilities is…

Establishes minimum energy efficiency requirements specifically tailored for data centers, addressing their unique operational demands.  This standard provides a framework for designing and operating data centers with an emphasis on energy efficiency, considering the distinct load requirements that differentiate them from other building types. History and Evolution of ASHRAE 90.4 Prior to the development of…

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize the data center industry, the choice of language models plays a crucial role in optimizing efficiency, sustainability, and operational intelligence.  Recently there have been comparisons of two AI-driven chatbot models, Deepseek and ChatGPT.  Both models provide natural language processing (NLP) capabilities, but they differ in architecture, performance, security,…

As the demand for digital infrastructure continues to grow, data centers are under increasing pressure to reduce their environmental impact and maintain efficiency while achieving the same reliability at reduced cost.  Does that sound like too much of a squeeze?  It’s where the industry has been headed for a while, but balancing these demands has…

Data centers demand robust security measures to protect access to the equipment and operations.  With escalating threats and evolving technological landscapes, adhering to robust security best practices is no longer optional for data centers.  These practices ensure the protection of sensitive information, system integrity, and operational continuity. However, threats are not static; attackers continuously develop…

As artificial intelligence (AI) applications proliferate across industries, the infrastructure supporting them are evolving to meet unprecedented demands.  Data centers, forming the backbone of AI processing and storage, are experiencing transformative advances in their networking and telecommunications systems.  These innovations are essential to power AI’s rapid expansion, from deep learning model training to real-time edge…

Micro AI Data Centers As AI continues to evolve and its applications expand, the need for faster, more efficient processing has never been greater.  More groups are aiming to support this with micro AI data centers, compact computing hubs designed to bring processing power closer to users and devices, particularly at the edge of networks.…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries and revolutionizing processes in ways once unimaginable. With generative demands, robotics, autonomous driving, predictive analytics, and more, AI is driving significant advancements in technology and innovation. However, this revolution comes with a demand: power consumption. The growing demand for AI workloads has resulted in a significant increase in energy…

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have come a long way since their inception, evolving from simple graphics accelerators into versatile, high-performance processors that drive some of the most demanding computing tasks today.  This transformation has revolutionized industries beyond gaming, including scientific research, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. The Early Days: Birth of the GPU The journey…

In the digital era, where businesses rely heavily on data-driven operations, the integrity and reliability of data center infrastructure are paramount. Data centers serve as the nerve centers of modern enterprises, housing critical IT systems and applications that power essential business functions. To ensure the seamless operation of these facilities, data center commissioning emerges as…

Ensuring optimal environmental conditions within data centers is crucial to safeguard the performance, reliability, and longevity of IT equipment.  Data center environmental conditions encompass a spectrum of factors, including temperature, humidity, airflow, air quality, and more. These conditions directly impact the operational efficiency and reliability of IT equipment housed within the data center. Monitoring and…

The management of complex data center infrastructures poses significant challenges, from optimizing resource utilization to ensuring reliability and scalability.  Enter Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) – a sophisticated software solution designed to address these challenges by providing comprehensive insights into data center assets, resources, and operations. At its core, DCIM is a powerful software platform…

In the digital age, data centers are the backbone of modern businesses, housing critical applications and infrastructure and to ensure continual operation and optimal performance, managers must pay close attention to many different aspects.  One of those that may slip by, due to never being a high priority, is software maintenance and associated fees.  Software…

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and information management, data centers serve as the cornerstone of modern business operations (1). As organizations increasingly rely on digital data and applications to drive productivity and innovation, the importance of robust and reliable data center infrastructure cannot be overstated. From multinational corporations to small businesses, data centers…

AI Power Use and Efficiency Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are becoming increasingly complex and focused, leading to a greater need for powerful analytical tools5, generally to have better applicability to specific needs.  As machine learning models have become more advanced and far more numerous, the computational power required to develop them has doubled every five…

Almost seven years have passed since the finalization and implementation of the ASHRAE 90.4 Energy Standard for Data Centers in 2016.  Many within the industry are aware of its existence, however, less remain uninformed about its implications.  In contrast, The Green Grid’s Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) metric, introduced in 2007, still has more widespread recognition. …

There are a lot of complex issues to be solved when aiming to make any facility more sustainable.  Meeting sustainability and energy efficiency goals in data centers can seem daunting, especially as new systems become available and the overall density is on the rise faster than ever before.  Getting back to the basics on the…

Given the new year 2024, there are bound to be great predictions and evaluations from the last year.  This time we’re looking further out to the year 2030 – now less than 6 years away.  What will we see for sustainable buildings, operations, and data centers?    Net-Zero Energy Buildings: The Standard for Tomorrow  By the year 2030,…

As 2023 has progressed, the global push for sustainability and eco-conscious decisions remains strong. This is particularly evident for data centers, where green building practices have continued to evolve, pushing the boundaries that were once limitations.  Along with the new, there are ‘re’-newed practices that are helping us pave the way towards a more sustainable and…

Green building initiatives have been launched across companies, organizations, and industries throughout the last decades. More webcasts, podcasts, conferences, standards, and classifications have been developed, scrutinized, and codified for the laymen and industry experts alike. By all accounts, the green ‘movement’ has been a success for awareness that has developed into action for developers to…

We are constantly bombarded with information from an ever-increasing variety of sources. Just think of the number of social media applications released over the last year or two and how some have faded and others have dominated. Decades ago communication was mostly via land line telephones, radio, and broadcast TV. Numbers were written down in…

There continues to be a flurry of articles homing in on the data center industry, calling it out as a wasteful, inefficient use of resources on top of being noisy energy hogs that also detract from the landscapes they occupy.  The write ups aim to tap into the emotional attachment of the reader to the resources…

The AI boom has taken off worldwide, with many new and old companies in the sector investing in the latest technology, such as the nVidia platform, causing those manufacturer values to soar ever higher.  Now the equipment that so many has purchased is starting to be delivered, allowing a real surge of technology to gobble up…

We’re recently gone through the exercise of energy return ratios for photovoltaic (PV) energy generation, as we had yet another ‘expert engineer’ and ‘LEED data center expert’ claim that photovoltaic sources never paid back the amount of energy based on their production.  Statements like this were common in the 1980’s, 90’s, and even early 2000’s. …

There have been reservations about implementing Lithium-Ion (LI) batteries for data centers, however they have been the preferred energy source for most portable power needs, from cell phones to electric vehicles.  Although the electrolyte was deemed a safety hazard due to flammability and overall runaway thermal gain, many industries have reacted to ensure safety features, monitoring,…

Would you be surprised if this was written by a generative text AI such as ChatGPT?  It wasn’t, but now this is entirely possible, unlike even a year ago.  And often when a ‘buzz-targeting’ TV report or article is presented to an audience there is the twist reveal that some or all of it was written by…

One of the leaders in sustainability for hyperscale data centers – Google – shared in 2017 that they had achieved their goal of purchasing 100% renewable energy, having procured more than 7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.  This is equivalent to the amount of energy used by small countries or states in the U.S.  This accomplishment was outlined…

Evaporative cooling is an integral part of many data center cooling systems as engineers know the benefits of the efficiency achieved by using them.  Water is by far a more effective medium for removing heat than air, especially when using evaporation to keep data centers cool.  Cooling towers are one of the main means to…