Core Viewpoint - Efficient cooling is an effective approach to reduce the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of data centers [2] Group 1: Energy Consumption and Cooling - The energy consumption of data centers is closely related to cooling, as stable electricity is required to maintain efficient chip operations, and heat generation must be effectively dissipated to prevent performance degradation [3] - PUE is a key indicator of data center operational efficiency, calculated as total energy consumption divided by IT equipment energy consumption, with a target of PUE < 1.3, ideally approaching 1.2 [3] - Cooling is often a major energy consumer in data centers, with early developments seeing PUE values exceeding 2, primarily due to cooling processes [4] Group 2: Paths to Reduce PUE - There are two main paths to reduce PUE: utilizing external cooling resources and implementing efficient internal cooling systems [5] - External cooling can be achieved through natural cooling from outdoor air in cold climates, as demonstrated by Kolos's data center in Norway, which aims to reduce energy costs by 60% due to its cold climate and hydropower resources [6] - China's Tibet Ningxuan data center is noted as the highest elevation data center globally, and there are proposals to build data centers in space to enhance cooling efficiency [7] Group 3: Internal Cooling Solutions - The current mainstream internal cooling solutions are air cooling and liquid cooling [8] - Liquid cooling is gaining traction as the next-generation mainstream solution, with its penetration rate increasing from 10% to 30% due to its superior heat dissipation capabilities [9] - The main types of liquid cooling technologies include cold plate liquid cooling, immersion cooling, and spray cooling, with companies specializing in data center cooling and traditional HVAC manufacturers involved in this space [10] Group 4: Future Trends - As AI demands continue to grow, liquid cooling is expected to replace air cooling as the primary method for reducing PUE in data centers [12]

Core Insights - The demand for advanced cooling technologies in data centers is surging due to the thermal limits of traditional infrastructure being tested by hyperscale operators [1] Market Overview - The global data center cooling market was valued at $14.21 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $34.12 billion by 2033, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% [2] Technical Evolution - The industry is evolving technically, moving from conventional air-cooling methods to liquid and hybrid architectures due to the rapid adoption of high-performance computing (HPC) and AI workloads [3] - Current rack densities in hyperscale facilities are exceeding 20 to 30 kilowatts (kW) per rack, with some AI clusters surpassing 100 kW, making air cooling inefficient [5] Cooling Technologies - The report identifies the rapid expansion of hyperscale facilities as a primary catalyst for the demand for direct-to-chip and immersion cooling technologies [5] - New data center builds are increasingly designed with liquid-first infrastructure, while legacy facilities face challenges in retrofitting [6] Energy Consumption - Data centers are projected to consume over 1,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity globally by 2026, with potential energy use hitting 2,200 TWh by 2030 [7] - Cooling systems account for nearly 40% of a facility's total energy usage, making efficiency metrics like Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) critical for operational and investment decisions [7][8] Regulatory Impact - Regulatory momentum in North America and Europe is influencing investment decisions, with stricter standards on energy reporting and environmental performance being imposed [8]