It's not getting any easier to keep data centres cool, warns ABI Research

ABI Research said by 2030 it expects the physical number of data centres worldwide to more than double from the 10,978 that were up and running in 2023. It also noted that last year, data centre operators consumed more than 300 terawatt-hours (TWh) for cooling alone, and that figure is projected to increase three-fold by 2030.

This outsized increase in projected cooling-power consumption could simply be down to new data centres being physically larger and therefore more thirsty than ones that have gone before.

Or it could be because demand for stuff like generative AI (GenAI) is in turn driving demand for a higher quantity of more powerful processors, driving the requirement for beefier cooling equipment.

Whatever the reason, the problem is growing, and it even has the potential to put the brakes on the data centre industry's growth altogether.

"With energy-intensive AI data centres, operators are under growing regulatory pressure to adopt responsible computing practices, assess environmental impact, and leverage renewable energy," said Rithika Thomas, senior analyst for sustainable technologies at ABI Research.

Indeed, as ABI notes, Ireland recently denied Google's planning application for a new data centre at a business park in south Dublin. As reported by the Irish Times in late August, South Dublin County Council cited insufficient capacity in the power grid and a lack of on-site renewable energy as reasons for refusal.

Incidentally, Google's planning application also reportedly revealed that its proposed data centre would indirectly emit 224,250 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

According to Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO), data centres accounted for 21% of electricity consumption in Ireland in 2023, up from 5% in 2015. In comparison, urban dwellings – houses and flats – accounted for 18% last year, while rural households accounted for 10%.

Ireland is at the extreme end of the scale given its relatively small population, but even in the US – the biggest data centre market in the world – the issue is of growing concern.

McKinsey says data centres currently account for 3%-4% of total US power demand, and are on course to account for approximately 11%-12% in 2030.

"As the power ecosystem grapples with meeting data centres' voracious need for power, it faces substantial constraints, including limitations on reliable power sources, sustainability of power, upstream infrastructure for power access, power equipment within data centres, and electrical trade workers to build out facilities and infrastructure," McKinsey said.

The consultancy goes so far as to warn that "without ample investments in data centres and power infrastructure, the potential of AI will not be fully realised."

Getting to grips with cooling would solve a sizeable chunk of the problem. According to ABI's Thomas, "cooling load alone accounts for up to 40% of a data centre's energy consumption."

"Effective cooling strategies demand a holistic, technology-agnostic approach to optimise power usage effectiveness (PUE), water usage effectiveness (WUE), thermal management, and reduce operating costs," she said.

Analyst firms like Synergy Research predict that hyperscale data centre capacity is on course to double again over the coming four years. But it seems that its hot streak is at risk of coming to a premature end unless the industry finds more effective ways to cool off.