Uncovering the Hidden Upstream Resource Use of Data Center Cooling

Data centers can require large amounts of electricity and water to operate under optimal conditions. The total water and electricity demands of data centers are influenced by various factors, such as climate, performance of IT equipment, and cooling employed (Karimi et al., 2022). Generally, data center cooling can rely on electricity alone (i.e. dry cooling) or incorporate water use (i.e. evaporative cooling) (Equinix, 2024). However, electricity and water are highly interdependent resources, given that water is used upstream to generate electricity, and electricity is used upstream to treat, convey, and deliver water (Hamiche et al., 2016). Equinix, one of the world’s largest data center and digital infrastructure providers, prioritizes sustainability in the design and operations of its data centers while meeting consumer data demands. As a result, this project seeks to quantify the total upstream water and electricity use for Equinix data centers in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. The approach for the project is to a) map upstream water and electricity use of existing Equinix data centers, and b) conduct a trade-off analysis that compares the potential total net water and electricity savings between cooling types of different building designs. This analysis will inform decision-making for future data center planning. Our approach leveraged various publicly available sources like research by the Pacific Institute, Grubert et al. (2018), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), as well as data from electricity and water suppliers. Beyond offering insights for Equinix’s data center planning decisions, we hope our work can be useful to the broader data center industry in assessing the true resource use associated with data center design.

Acknowledgements

UC Santa Barbara Bren School: Dr. Eric Masanet, Professor and Mellichamp Chair in Sustainability Science for Emerging Technologies; Dr. Robert Wilkinson, Adjunct Professor; Dr. Arturo Keller, Distinguished Professor; Dr. Ranjit Deshmukh, Associate Professor; Dr. Chris Jerde, Lecturer; Samantha Czik, Lecturer; Nathaniel Grimes, PhD Candidate; Sean Reid, PhD Candidate

Equinix: Alex Setmajer, Program Manager, Water & Nature; Greg Metcalf, Senior Director, Design; Doug Asay, Staff Mechanical Engineer; Andrew Higgins, Global Head of Masterplanning and Sustainability; Arjan Westerhoff, Principal Operational, Sustainability; Jenna Ware, Senior Content Marketing Manager, Sustainability

Special Mentions: Enze Jin, Lab Scientist, Aramco Research Center; Alex Rodriguez, President/CEO, DCG Public Affairs