The Future Of Data Center Cooling At Bisnow's DICE National Conference

Data center water usage has become a hot topic, from discussions about the massive amounts of water facilities need to keep running to how to create more energy-efficient systems. 

Cooling technologies are responsible for a significant amount of this water usage. The average hyperscale data center can consume around 550,000 gallons of water daily to support its cooling systems, and the rising demand for artificial intelligence tools is driving that figure up. The solution is to invest in more efficient ways to keep data centers cool, including liquid-to-chip systems, which have been found to drastically reduce water and energy usage. 

Water solutions company Watts offers intelligent next-generation water management technologies designed to create reliable and sustainable water systems for data centers. Megaprojects National Sales Manager Nolan Foran wants the company to be viewed as a solutions provider for direct-to-chip cooling facilities. 

“More cooling requires more water, and that's our expertise,” he said. “Watts is focused on safely moving water in, around and out of facilities since its inception. We want owners to reach out to us when they are looking for complete engineered solutions, rather than just pieces and parts.” 

Foran will be speaking at Bisnow’s Data Center Investment Conference and Expo National on May 12. Register here. 

Bisnow spoke with Foran to learn more about the challenges the data center industry is facing and how Watts is working to overcome them. 

Bisnow: What do you think are some of the greatest challenges facing the data center industry today? 

Foran: It all starts with engineering. There are a lot of changes happening that engineers need to account for, including the new chips that are coming out and what designs those are going to require. On the mechanical construction side, it’s always been difficult to hold on to plumbers and mechanical contractors, and now, with the massive amount of projects we’re seeing today, there’s definitely a labor shortage. 

Another challenge the industry is facing is the public sentiment regarding artificial intelligence. There are concerns about how AI and data centers will impact the workforce and the environment, leading people to be hesitant about having these facilities built in their neighborhoods. We need to work to change that sentiment. 

Bisnow: Can you tell me a bit about your role at Watts? 

Foran: I'm the national sales manager at Watts for what we call megaprojects. I focus on data center, semiconductor, electric vehicle battery plants and all kinds of projects, moving Watts more into these spaces in addition to the commercial and residential plumbing solutions world where we have lived. 

Our team works with data center owners as well as the engineering community and the mechanical contractor firms, engaging with as many stakeholders as possible to ensure that we're aligned with the market and how it's evolving. Our goal is to come out with new products to meet changing demands and enable contractors to execute their projects on schedule. 

Bisnow: You're speaking on a panel titled The Future of Cooling: Designing for High-Density AI Without Overbuilding. What do you think the future of data center cooling looks like? What do owners and operators need to know as GPU densities continue to climb? 

Foran: Clearly, there's going to be a lot more direct-to-chip cooling, and these systems and the heat loads they are generating aren't going to get any smaller. The heat being dissipated by the performance of these high-performance graphics processing unit chips is going to continue to climb. As a result, we're going to see more mechanical systems inside of these projects, and operators are going to need more integrated systems expertise. 

Additionally, as things continue to evolve, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding exactly what owners will need from engineers who, in turn, need to figure out how to build a facility that will last for years. 

Bisnow: What do you think will be the hottest topics at this event? 

Foran: Power densities and rack densities will definitely be major topics of conversation, and people will also likely be talking about the public sentiment issues I mentioned earlier. It seems like some facility owners are shifting their projects to new areas when they encounter pushback on their original site, and I’m interested in learning more about how they handle that. 

Finally, everyone always brings up whether we are experiencing a bubble or if we can expect to see this level of activity last for several years, so I assume there will be discussion around that as well. 

This article was produced in collaboration between Watts and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.