Why do data centers require so much water?

– Data centers use more water to generate the electricity that keeps them running than they use water to cool them. – In all, data centers throughout the United States consumed a combined 626 billion liters of water in 2014, a number that is projected to hit 660 billion by 2020.

How are Google data centers cooled?

Google relies on “evaporative cooling,” which evaporates water to cool the air around the processing units stacked inside data centers, according to its environmental report. The most common systems, known as computer room air conditioners, are energy intensive.

Do data Centres use a lot of water?

The average data centre uses a lower estimate of 500,000 litres per day, according to figures gathered by the Sunday Business Post. One data centre in Dublin filled that it could use up to 4.5 million litres of water a day, although such volumes would only be necessary for around 5 per cent of the year.

Why does a data center need to be cooled?

Data center cooling equipment and mechanisms are required to keep the facility at an ideal temperature 24×7 and to prevent critical IT equipment from overheating. Data center cooling systems can range from very basic fans to highly sophisticated heat transfer solutions to nothing at all except cool outside air.

How much water did data centers use in 2020?

660 billion litres
Data centers throughout the United States consumed a combined total of 660 billion litres of water in 2020, according to the US Department of Energy.

Do data centers use water cooling?

Chilled Water System A data center cooling system commonly used in mid-to-large-sized data centers that uses chilled water to cool air being brought in by air handlers (CRAHs).

Do data centers recycle water?

In 2014, a total of 626 billion litres of water use was attributable to US data centres4. Some progress has been made with using recycled and non-potable water, but from the limited figures available15 some data centre operators are drawing more than half of their water from potable sources (Fig. 2).

Do data centers use cooling towers?

Evaporative cooling towers are an integral part of many data center cooling systems. Recently some have questioned the use of cooling towers, citing water scarcity to bolster their arguments.

How much water does Google use a year?

Google consumed 3.4 billion gallons of water in 2019, its most recent disclosure.

What is cooling in data center?

Data center cooling refers to the collective equipment, tools, techniques and processes that ensure an ideal operating temperature within a data center facility.

Can data center be too cold?

“Severe cold can cause a data center to operate outside of its specific design perimeters, which adds stress to the system,” said Cooper. If this occurs, it can be difficult for air to circulate and the entire system can shut down.” Attention to maintenance is critical.