13/12/24

It’s no secret that Data Centers are handling increasingly larger volumes of data and hosting more intensive workloads due to the massive adoption of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. This boost in equipment density generates significant heat, which can compromise the performance and lifespan of components.

For this reason, innovative cooling solutions that maximize energy efficiency and ensure operational continuity are essential. High-efficiency cooling in Data Centers has become one of the primary challenges for organizations operating large IT infrastructures.

As data structures expand their capacity, conventional cooling methods are no longer sufficient to meet the demands of higher power densities. Consequently, companies are seeking alternatives that provide not only thermal efficiency but also flexibility and sustainability.

In fact, high-efficiency cooling offers a balanced solution to increasing power demands and energy efficiency, enabling organizations to operate in a scalable and sustainable manner without compromising system performance. Learn more below:

Overheating: the problem in high-density Data Centers

The growing concentration of progressively powerful equipment in Data Centers brings a critical issue: overheating. This condition is becoming more acute as racks are expanded to house a greater number of servers, which handle intensive processing loads and generate unsustainable heat levels if not properly managed.

The reality is that without efficient management of the excessive heat generated by equipment, hardware failures can occur, leading to a loss of operational efficiency or even service outages. In turn, such failures directly affect business continuity and operational stability.

Addressing high heat density effectively has become indispensable in this era of exponential digitalization. Beyond the direct impact on performance, the energy consumption required for cooling Data Centers infrastructures significantly contributes to organizational costs. For instance, in environments with high heat concentrations, conventional air cooling methods often prove inadequate for maintaining effective temperature control.

As a result, companies face rising expenses and proportional operational challenges. This highlights the importance of implementing high-efficiency cooling systems to manage substantial thermal loads without compromising growth or the ongoing viability of business operations.

The global landscape of Data Center cooling

The cooling strategies for data infrastructures are undergoing significant evolution worldwide. Driven by the need to handle high power density demands, data structures are generating ever-increasing heat volumes.

According to an estimate by the consultancy Markets and Markets, the global Data Centers cooling market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% through 2030. This growth is largely attributed to the rising number of Data Centers worldwide, spurred by the acceleration of digital operations across various industries.

Analysts highlight that energy efficiency and operational cost reduction are among the key drivers for adopting advanced high-efficiency cooling solutions in Data Centers, where heat generation is intense and continuous.

Catalysts for adopting advanced high-efficiency cooling solutions

Within this context, mid-sized Data Centers are emerging as a rapidly expanding segment, particularly as industries like IT and telecommunications demand higher processing capacities. This shift compels data infrastructure managers to adopt more advanced and efficient solutions to remain competitive in their industry.

Thus, the focus has shifted toward technologies that optimize energy consumption without sacrificing operational performance. Heightened adoption of technologies such as liquid cooling, air cooling, and modular cooling solutions addresses the challenge of maintaining optimal temperatures in high-density environments without unnecessarily booming energy consumption.

Meanwhile, hyperscale Data Center operators, supporting the operations of major corporations, are at the forefront of research into advanced high-efficiency cooling solutions. These environments operate thousands of servers, processing enormous amounts of data in real-time, and generating significant heat volumes.

As processing and capacity demands grow—driven by the expansion of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data, and machine learning—the challenge of maintaining efficient operations in these facilities becomes even greater.

In such scenarios, high-efficiency air-based cooling systems are widely used due to their flexibility, energy efficiency, and ability to meet large IT demands, particularly in rapidly expanding environments. Technologies that capture and eliminate heat directly at its source are preferred because they reduce operational costs and enable more controlled and sustainable cooling compared to traditional methods.

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Key cooling solutions for Data Centers

Maintaining proper cooling in Data Centers involves employing a variety of technologies to ensure that equipment operates efficiently and safely, without overheating or consuming unnecessary energy.

With increasing infrastructure density and the need for more efficient solutions, several strategies can be implemented, often in combination. Each method offers distinct benefits as well as limitations, depending on the density of the equipment used and the specific system scaling requirements:

• Conventional air cooling: the most commonly used method for Data Centers refreshment. In this approach, cold air is distributed throughout server rooms to dissipate the heat generated by IT racks. While effective for environments with moderate density, it faces challenges in high-density infrastructures where the heat generated exceeds the system’s dissipation capacity. This limitation can result in inefficient operations, increasing the risk of equipment failure due to overheating;

• Liquid cooling: uses refrigerant fluids that come into direct contact with the equipment to provide a more efficient solution in environments with high device concentration. It is particularly effective in systems handling heavy workloads, where heat production is significantly high. The efficiency of liquid cooling lies in its ability to rapidly remove heat directly from the source, making it an excellent solution for high-power racks;

• Free cooling: utilizes cool external air to reduce the need for artificial cooling in locations with moderate or low temperatures for extended periods. It significantly reduces energy consumption by leveraging natural climatic conditions to cool equipment. However, its efficiency varies depending on geographic location and climate changes, limiting its usefulness in regions with consistently high temperatures;

• Evaporative cooling: this technique uses the evaporation of water to cool the air before it enters the Data Center. It is highly effective in areas with low relative humidity, enabling more sustainable and cost-efficient cooling. It works well in environments with moderate to high density where heat management is critical but energy consumption can still be balanced;

• High-efficiency air cooling: designed to handle the heat generated in Data Centers operating with high-power equipment, typically ranging from 10 to 50 kW per rack. Unlike conventional systems that simply circulate cold air throughout the room, high-density air cooling uses precisely directed cold airflows to remove heat directly from the source—the points where servers generate the most heat. This is achieved through powerful fans, automated control systems, and containment devices that prevent hot and cold air from mixing, thereby increasing system efficiency. This approach allows for faster heat dissipation, which is essential in environments with high server concentration, ensuring stable temperatures, preventing overheating, and maintaining optimal performance of the infrastructure.

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Delta³: innovation in high-efficiency cooling at ODATA Data Centers

Meeting the demands of Brazil’s accelerating digital transformation, ODATA is advancing its sustainability and innovation initiatives with the implementation of the Delta Cube (Delta³), a high-efficiency air cooling system, in its Data Centers across Latin America. Delta³ is a state-of-the-art, proprietary, and award-winning technology, currently under patent, developed exclusively by Aligned Data Centers—the U.S.-based parent company of ODATA.

Designed to address the increasing power and density demands of next-generation data infrastructures, this solution captures and removes heat directly at its source rather than merely pushing cold air into server rooms, as traditional systems do. This approach creates a hyperscalable and highly efficient environment that dynamically adjusts to variations in workload demands and cooling requirements.

Unlike conventional strategies, Delta³ stands out for its ability to support racks with densities of up to 50 kW in the same row. This enables ODATA’s Data Centers to maximize the usage of available space while significantly reducing energy-related operational costs.

Another key advantage of Delta³ is its versatility: the technology can be integrated with liquid cooling systems, making it an ideal solution for Data Centers requiring rapid scalability or adaptation to the demands of emerging applications, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning.

Refined over a decade of development and continuous improvement, Delta³ represents a major technological advancement and evolution of the solutions offered by ODATA. It excels in efficiency, sustainability, scalability, and flexibility.

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“The introduction of Delta³ exemplifies ODATA’s ongoing commitment to technical excellence, environmental sustainability, and innovative capabilities to meet the ever-evolving needs of our clients.”

Ricardo Alário, CEO of ODATA

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Economic and environmental impacts of Delta³ adoption in Latin America

Manufactured in Brazil by Munters, a global leader in air and liquid cooling solutions for Data Centers and industrial humidity control, at its facility in Araucária, Paraná, the Delta³ system represents a significant advancement for the entire sector.

In addition to reducing the costs associated with importing components and accelerating the implementation of new technologies, the local production of Delta³ equipment strengthens Brazil’s industrial sector, drives economic growth, generates jobs, and promotes technological innovation in the country. It also facilitates the expansion of Data Centers infrastructure in the region, attracting new investments to the IT sector and solidifying Brazil’s position as a hub for innovation and technology.

On the environmental front, Delta³ delivers a highly energy-efficient solution, which helps reduce the carbon footprint of Data Centers. With its ability to cool racks of up to 50 kW while consuming less energy, it plays a critical role in supporting the sustainability of operations.

Moreover, its flexibility to integrate with liquid cooling systems enables the adoption of more eco-friendly practices, further minimizing environmental impact. This is particularly crucial in a global context where there is growing pressure for more environmentally responsible business practices aligned with carbon neutrality goals.

Thus, Delta³ not only enhances Brazil’s competitiveness in the technology sector but also contributes to global environmental objectives.

“We are excited to bring this advanced technology to our Data Centers in Latin America, fostering the growth of Brazil’s industry while fulfilling our mission to develop the region’s digital infrastructure,” says Ricardo Alário, CEO of ODATA.

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