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.
0.41\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
index (0–1)
Non‑IT Power Share
Fraction of total facility power used by cooling and other overhead (versus IT load).
0.27\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
0–1 ratio
Water Withdrawal Intensity Index
Normalized site makeup water per unit IT energy (WUE-aligned); lower is better.
0.41\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
index (0–1)
Uptime Probability
Modeled probability of staying within thermal envelope and online for the period.
0.27\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
0–1 ratio
Cooling Capacity Headroom Index
Fractional margin between peak cooling capacity and peak IT heat load; 0 means no headroom.
0.41\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
index (0–1)
Internal Factors
AI Rack Density
Typical IT power per high-density rack (kW), used as a driver for liquid cooling and headroom.
750\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
kW
Liquid Cooling Adoption
Share of AI racks using direct-to-chip or immersion liquid cooling.
0.27\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
0–1 ratio
Recycled Water Share
Share of non-potable/reclaimed water in total cooling makeup water.
0.27\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
0–1 ratio
Watershed Stress Index
Baseline water scarcity at the site’s watershed; higher values indicate greater scarcity.
0.41\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
index (0–1)
Extreme Humid Heat Index
Normalized intensity/frequency of high wet-bulb or heat-index conditions that erode economizer hours and chiller capacity.
0.41\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
index (0–1)
Onsite Water Storage Days
Days of cooling operation supported by onsite storage at typical makeup rates.
35\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
days
Levers
Liquid Cooling CAPEX
Capital expenditure to qualify direct-to-chip/immersion loops and CDUs for AI racks.
12.4M\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
USD (millions)
Recycled Water CAPEX
Capital expenditure for reclaimed-water interconnects, treatment, and controls.
12.4M\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
USD (millions)
Server Inlet Temp Setpoint Index
Policy index positioning the server inlet setpoint within the ASHRAE recommended envelope.
0.41\Obfuscated metric preview — request access to view exact values
index (0–1)