Demand for digital infrastructure is skyrocketing, driven by the rise of artificial intelligence and HPC in data centers. However, this surge has placed immense pressure on facilities to address their environmental impact. Responsible for nearly 1.5% of global electricity consumption and actually exceeding the aviation industry in GHG emissions, data centers must adopt innovative solutions to achieve a sustainable future.
Some organizations have responded with fantastical, futuristic ideas like deploying data centers in space. More practical solutions — energy-efficient hardware, renewable energy adoption, and advanced cooling systems — offer more feasible and immediate ways to make an impactful reduction in the data industry’s carbon footprint. Among them, waterless liquid cooling stands out as a transformative technology in this march to data center sustainability.
That’s where ZutaCore® comes in.
To create sustainable data centers, operators must first focus on methods of reducing resource consumption. Environmentally friendly technologies are also a must-have. Here are some of the most impactful strategies:
Energy-efficient practices are critical for reducing a data center’s carbon footprint. Techniques like server virtualization, smart fan controls, and free-air cooling systems have proven somewhat effective in lowering energy usage. However, traditional cooling methods are still reliant on electricity- and water-intensive processes…a significant challenge made no better by the fact that legacy technologies come up short in cooling today’s red-hot AI chips. More is needed.
A transition to renewable energy — such as solar or wind power — can drastically cut emissions. Regions with cooler climates or access to hydropower make it even easier for data centers to optimize energy use while reducing dependency on fossil fuels. Facilities can consider purchasing renewable energy from external sources through the grid, or perhaps even evaluate an installation of a solar array on-site to help off-set usage.
Innovative cooling methods are the most accessible, bang-for-your-buck solution to achieving revolutionary data center sustainability. Liquid cooling, in particular, has gained traction for its ability to manage high heat densities. Even so, concerns remain about the environmental risks of resource-intensive water-based systems or traditional non-water coolants, including PFAS that penetrate into groundwater and harm ecosystems in the event of a leak.
We’ve introduced a next-generation solution for sustainable cooling in HyperCool®, a completely waterless and risk-free liquid cooling system. Our non-toxic, eco-friendly heat transfer fluid is specially designed to easily mitigate high heat densities without relying on scarce resources like water.
The direct-to-chip approach we’re using is two-phase. You place cold plates on the processors and deliver fluid to the chip with one line. It boils and evaporates the fluid into a vapor, then leaves the chip via a second line back to a heat rejection unit. The vaporized fluid releases its heat (which can be captured for 100% reuse), re-condenses into a liquid, and heads back to the chip.
This approach has natural benefits:
With these capabilities, ZutaCore empowers data center operators to aspire towards truly net-zero data centers that align with long-term sustainability goals.
The HyperCool system is designed to enable the total reuse of all heat generated by data centers. This heat can be repurposed for district heating, industrial processes, or even agricultural applications, effectively creating a circular energy economy. By integrating heat reuse into operations, data centers can achieve the industry’s lowest Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and the highest efficiency, regardless of climate.
The combination of an energy-efficient HyperCool implementation and 100% heat reuse can slash emissions, reduce your capital and operating expenses by a magnitude of two, and also lower total cost of ownership (TCO) by 50%.
Skeptics of waterless liquid cooling often raise concerns about its environmental impact, particularly given the risks associated with certain chemical-based systems. A notable example is the environmental and health fallout from the use of PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), a class of chemicals that’s historically been common in cooling systems. In the wake of catastrophic leaks from major companies like 3M, the FDA has taken steps to phase out grease-proofing agents containing PFAS and mitigate contamination risks in food and water supplies.
The HyperCool solution eliminates such risks, since it uses a waterless heat transfer fluid with zero ODP and low GWP. Eco-friendly liquid cooling options like this allow for the development of high-powered and densified data centers that are also waterless, energy-efficient, and sustainable. With HyperCool, your zero carbon emissions goal is fully intact.
There’s no question that the path to net-zero energy data centers requires bold innovation and commitment. By implementing solutions like waterless liquid cooling, renewable energy sources, and waste heat reuse, data center operators can reduce emissions while simultaneously ensuring operational excellence.
The HyperCool system is positioned as the next big step forward in this journey. Waterless liquid cooling isn’t the solution of the future — it’s here today. Facilities are already seeing results with implementations in their server rooms. What would you do with 10x more compute power, a 50% reduction in total cost of ownership, and 100% heat reuse? The time has come to redefine what’s possible in sustainable data centers. You can align performance with today’s AI-driven workloads while building a future where data centers drive progress without compromising the planet.