HYBRID COOLING FOR DATA CENTRES
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move the heat that modern AI hardware generates. Pure liquid cooling is very efficient but expensive to deploy at scale and brings its own operational complexity. Hybrid sits in the middle: air where you need it, liquid where the density demands it, and the outcome is better PUE, lower energy cost and the ability to run GPU- heavy workloads without tearing the facility apart.” Retrofit difficulties Hybrid cooling can be retrofitted into existing data centres – but this can present challenges. “It needs to be planned properly,” says Karl. “It is not simply a case of adding new cooling hardware. Operators also need to consider power design, floor layout, heat rejection, resilience, maintenance access and the impact on live customer infrastructure. In live environments, operational risk is often the most important factor, particularly where customers are running business- critical systems. “Any changes need to be carefully phased to avoid disruption, with clear segregation of works and a staged deployment approach where needed. There are also structural and mechanical considerations that can limit what is achievable in older facilities, so feasibility assessments are essential. In many cases, hybrid cooling can extend the life and capability of an existing data centre quite effectively, but it needs to be approached as an integrated infrastructure change
rather than a standalone upgrade.” Rich Day, mechanical engineering manager at Mercury Power, agrees that when it comes to installing hybrid cooling into an existing data centre every site has its own challenges.
“Retrofitting evaporative cooling into an existing data centre can be straightforward on one site and a
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complete headache on another,” he says. “Often, the cooling itself is not the biggest issue. You also have to look at available power, space, existing infrastructure and in some cases, the structure of the building itself. “If the data centre is spread across multiple floors, for example, you must ask whether the building can take the weight and load of the new AI equipment and any associated plant. “It all comes down to what the site can realistically support, from a cooling perspective and a wider infrastructure point of view.” Reseller conversations For resellers, hybrid cooling presents opportunities. “Resellers and MSPs should focus on outcomes, not just the cooling technology itself,” says Karl. “Customers want to know whether the environment can support the workloads they plan to run, whether it will remain efficient as demand grows, and whether it gives them a realistic path to scale. It is important to translate what can be a technical topic into clear business implications, including performance stability, cost predictability, energy efficiency and long-term flexibility. “Hybrid cooling should be positioned as an enabler of performance, resilience and future capacity. There is also a growing advisory and commercial opportunity here. As more businesses look at how their infrastructure needs to evolve for modern AI workloads, resellers that can offer genuine consultative support, not just hardware, are best placed to add value and
Retrofitting evaporative cooling into an existing data centre can be
straightforward on one site and a complete headache on another... ...Often, the cooling itself is not the biggest issue. You also have to look at available power, space, existing infrastructure and in some cases, the structure of the building itself.
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