Data Center Cooling & Water Strategy
Compare liquid vs. air cooling, water sourcing risks, and thermal envelopes to reduce Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), and thermal‑driven outage risk for high‑density AI racks.
KPIs
Energy Efficiency Index
Normalized inverse of Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE); higher values mean better energy efficiency.
Higher is better
Non‑IT Power Share
Fraction of total facility power used by cooling and other overhead (versus IT load).
Higher is worse
Water Withdrawal Intensity Index
Normalized site makeup water per unit IT energy (WUE‑aligned); lower is better.
Higher is worse
Uptime Probability
Modeled probability of staying within thermal envelope and online for the period.
Higher is better
Cooling Capacity Headroom Index
Fractional margin between peak cooling capacity and peak IT heat load; 0 means no headroom.
Higher is better
Internal Factors
AI Rack Density
Typical IT power per high‑density rack (kW), used as a driver for liquid cooling and headroom.
Higher is worse
Liquid Cooling Adoption
Share of AI racks using direct‑to‑chip or immersion liquid cooling.
Higher is better
Recycled Water Share
Share of non‑potable/reclaimed water in total cooling makeup water.
Higher is better
Watershed Stress Index
Baseline water scarcity at the site’s watershed; higher values indicate greater scarcity.
Higher is worse
Extreme Humid Heat Index
Normalized intensity/frequency of high wet‑bulb or heat‑index conditions that erode economizer hours and chiller capacity.
Higher is worse
Onsite Water Storage Days
Days of cooling operation supported by onsite storage at typical makeup rates.
Higher is better
Levers
Liquid Cooling CAPEX
Capital expenditure to qualify direct‑to‑chip/immersion loops and CDUs for AI racks.
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USD (millions)
Recycled Water CAPEX
Capital expenditure for reclaimed‑water interconnects, treatment, and controls.
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USD (millions)
Server Inlet Temp Setpoint Index
Policy index positioning the server inlet setpoint within the ASHRAE recommended envelope.