Water is the most common way to cool data centers, and it takes a lot of water to do this. As a result, many data centers are now looking for ways to cool their facilities more effectively to reduce their water consumption while still providing the stable temperatures that today’s IT equipment requires. Currently, 80% of data centers employ or are looking into installing hot or cold aisle containment systems to keep servers at the correct temperatures and reduce energy and water use. Below are some tips for reducing your data center’s water footprint.

Increase the Temperature

One way to reduce your facility’s water footprint is to increase the temperature. Higher temperatures mean less of a burden on the air conditioners. By increasing the temperature in the data center by as little as 2 degrees, facilities can realize massive increases in efficiency and reduction in water needed to cool the environment.

Improve Concentration Cycles

Anytime water is used in an industrial process, care has to be given to the water quality. In data centers a key component of reducing water usage is managing and monitoring concentration cycles effectively. The cycle of concentration is mentioned in regards to the amount of unwanted, polluting solids in recirculating water. Too high or too low of a concentration of these solids may cause problems that can often be avoided through strict monitoring. You can also increase your concentration cycles through more efficient use of water treatment equipment. This can reduce mineral concentration in the water, causing less conductivity and overall water consumption. The money spent on consistent inspections of your water will be worth it compared to that spent on water and energy, should you go without concentration management.

Seal the Center

Sealing the data center is another way to lessen the burden on your cooling systems. This allows for better water usage control by creating an environment where temperature and humidity levels are balanced. As much as 50% of the total cooling capacity of a data center can be lost due to unpatched holes, cable access pathways that are not backfilled, operators leaving doors open, etc. Sealing the data center will instantly increase the efficiency of your installed precision air conditioning units, reducing water consumption in the process.

Closed loop systems

There are precision air conditioners that are highly efficient that do not consume water in the process of cooling the environment. Packaged air-cooled chillers feeding close coupled precision air conditioners is an efficient way to cool the data center while eliminating the evaporation cycle commonly used in data center air conditioning.

Having a closed loop system also adds reliability to your data center cooling system. When is the last time that your municipality shut off the water? Hard to remember isn’t it? We don’t look at water delivery in the same way as power. When the power goes out, everyone knows because your office goes dark, but very few people monitor their city water supply to know how many times a year the city takes you offline. A closed loop precision air conditioning system for your data center may solve several problems for you at once.

Excessive water consumption is a problem for many data centers. As a result, many facilities are now taking measures to reduce their water footprint. Using any of the above methods can effectively help you to manage and control your facility’s water consumption.