Uptime Institute Data Center Cooling Systems Survey 2021

Q3 2021

KEY FINDINGS Chilled water systems most favored Some see coming influx of liquid-cooled servers
• Air cooling dominates Which of the following data center air cooling approaches
are you familiar with? Choose all that apply. (n=402)
Looking ahead three years, in your opinion how likely is it that
immersion and/or direct-to-chip liquid cooling will be the
the sector; data center primary approach to server cooling? (n=428)
What type of air cooling approaches does your organization
operators are most familiar utilize in its data center(s)? Choose all that apply. (n=402)
implementing chilled water
42% 39% 19%
and direct-expansion 87% Not likely Somewhat Very
systems. At present, direct likely likely
liquid cooling is niche. 70% 73%

• Direct liquid cooling may 53% 51% 51% UPTIME INSTITUTE DATA CENTER COOLING SYSTEMS SURVEY 2021

become the primary cooling

method, driven by rack
density, electricity cost 12% Chillers lead in sustainability credentials
and sustainability efforts. 17% 19% Which of the following data center air cooling approaches would
8% you say is the most environmentally sustainable? (n=551)
Adoption timeframes
vary but most see the Chilled Direct Direct Indirect evaporative/ Other Chilled water
same barriers. water expansion evaporative adiabatic cooling (please specify) systems 36%
systems systems cooling systems systems
Indirect evaporative/
UPTIME INSTITUTE DATA CENTER COOLING SYSTEMS SURVEY 2021
adiabatic cooling 24%
systems
ABOUT THIS SURVEY
Few think air cooling will remain dominant beyond 10 years Don’t know 12%
The Uptime Institute Data
Center Cooling Systems Regarding data centers 1 MW or greater, for how long do you think
air cooling will remain the dominant approach? (n=413)
Survey 2021 was conducted Direct evaporative
in August and September cooling systems 11%
Less than 10 years > 10 years
2021 and had over 600
global respondents, including Direct expansion
data center user/owner/ systems 9%
13% 35% 28% 25%
operators and suppliers. 1–3 4–6 7–10 10+
Other
years years years years
(please specify) 8%

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Uptime Institute Data Center Cooling Systems Survey 2021

Cold plates considered most viable alternative Only half think cloud is highly efficient
Which of these direct liquid cooling techniques – if any – do you think are currently viable Generally speaking, how would you Generally speaking, how would Generally speaking, how
cooling approaches in data centers? Choose all that apply. (n=481) rate the overall efficiency of data you rate the overall efficiency of would you rate the overall
center cooling sytems currently data center cooling sytems efficiency of data center
Water-cooled cold plates 43% being operated by large cloud and currently being operated by cooling sytems currently
internet companies (e.g., Amazon, colocation providers? (n=395) being operated by enterprise
Facebook, Google, Microsoft)? operators? (n=404)
Full immersion systems 29% (n=395)
Dielectric-cooled
cold plates 22% 5% 13% 10%
19%
Partial immersion
systems 16%
Do not believe liquid cooling 46% Cloud 49% Colocation 44% Enterprise
is a viable alternative 16%
46%
Other (please specify) 2% 68%
UPTIME INSTITUTE DATA CENTER COOLING SYSTEMS SURVEY 2021

Highly efficient Moderately efficient Not efficient

Density, power and sustainability drive uptake
UPTIME INSTITUTE DATA CENTER COOLING SYSTEMS SURVEY 2021
Currently, which of these do you think are Which of these do you think will be the
the primary drivers for immersion and/or primary drivers for immersion and/or
direct-to-chip liquid cooling adoption? direct-to-chip liquid cooling adoption Limited choice hinders liquid cooling adoption
Choose no more than two. (n=450) three years from now? Choose no more Which of the following do you think are the biggest barriers to adopting 
than two. (n=448) direct liquid cooling in data centers? Choose no more than two. (n=472)
70% Limited choices for
liquid-cooled IT systems 47%
60% Maintenance issues 45%
Lack of standardization
across liquid cooling systems 40%

42% Cost issues 40%

37% 38% Reliability concerns 32%
34%
Lack of choices in vendors 27%
24% 24%
18% 19% 18% Business complexities 26%
12% Staff training 24%
1% 2%
Safety issues 17%
Higher rack Environmental Cost of Application/ Water Limited Other
densities sustainability electricity workload scarcity power (please Other (please specify) 8%
consumption performance availability specify)

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Uptime Institute Data Center Cooling Systems Survey 2021

Climate change adds risk to many operations

Looking ahead three years, how would you rate the risks of global climate
change/extreme weather to data center operations? (n=421)
ABOUT UI INTELLIGENCE
The risks to data centers
are overblown Uptime Institute (UI) Intelligence is an independent
9% unit of Uptime Institute dedicated to identifying,
analyzing and explaining the trends, technologies, operational practices and
changing business models of the mission-critical infrastructure industry. For more about Uptime Institute
There are significant There are some risks
Intelligence, visit uptimeinstitute.com/ui-intelligence or contact research@uptimeinstitute.com.
risks to data centers, and to data centers, but
they fall outside design
38% 53% they fall within design Uptime Institute – The Global Data Center Authority®, All general queries:
assumptions assumptions a division of The 451 Group, has office locations in the Uptime Institute,
US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, UK, Spain, UAE, Russia, 5470 Shilshole Avenue NW, Suite 500,
Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. Seattle, WA 98107 USA
Visit uptimeinstitute.com for more information. +1 206 783 0510; info@uptimeinstitute.com

UPTIME INSTITUTE DATA CENTER COOLING SYSTEMS SURVEY 2021

Uptime Institute Data Center Cooling Systems Survey 2021: Uptime Institute Data Center Cooling Systems Survey 2021:
End user demographics Vendor demographics
Verticals (n=229) Company location (n=239) Company location (n=174)
Colocation/multi-tenant
data centers 32%
Telecommunications 15%
Financial 13%
Design & engineering 7%
Technology 6%
2% Russia & CIS 2% Russia & CIS
Government 6%
Software and Europe 28% Europe 29%
or cloud services 5%
21% US & Canada 3% China 16% US & Canada 2% China
Education 4% 8% 9%
Healthcare /
pharmaceutical 2%
Insurance 2% Middle 16% Asia-Pacific Middle 23% Asia-Pacific
Africa 10% (not China) Africa 6% (not China)
Utilities / energy 2%
East East
Manufacturing 2%
Retail / wholesale/ Latin America 12% Latin America 14%
distribution
1%
Transportation 1%
Media 1%

Job function (n=244) Job function (n=179)

37% 23% 15% 14% 11% 51% 28% 21%
Critical facilities Senior executive Critical facilities Data center design IT manager Data center design or engineering Product provider/vendor: Consultant/advisory firm:
manager (VP or C-level) operations staff engineer firm: manager/designer/advisor manager/advisor/other manager/advisor/other

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