Data4 is taking its commitment to sustainability to the next level with the deployment of Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) on DC01 of its Marcoussis campus. The commissioning, scheduled for 23 April, is part of a major retrofit with the aim of improving the energy efficiency of the data center and reducing the carbon footprint.
This project was made possible thanks to a close collaboration with our strategic partners, particularly Schneider and Danfoss, with whom we jointly developed our DLC expertise. Together, we designed optimized Cooling Distribution Units (CDU), guaranteeing improved energy performance and better thermal management.
Ceme, as the partner in charge of equipment, took on the operational implementation of the whole system, guaranteeing the consistency and reliability of the deployed infrastructures.
Validated by the Uptime Institute and supported by other key stakeholders such as Victaulic, Belimo, Rentaload and APL, this project strengthens our position as we tackle the increasing challenges of AI and sustainability.
An ecosystem-wide collaboration for an optimized solution
At a time when the deployment of AI calls for new cooling solutions, Data4 has launched a Proof of Concept (POC) project on its Marcoussis campus to optimize the design of the Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) system to make it more energy-efficient and lessen its impact on the environment. To develop this technological building block, DATA4 chose to team up with an ecosystem of specialist suppliers.
This synergy has allowed us to design a solution that performs better, optimized for maintenance and operations and attuned to the demands of our customers. Through this joint development of the core components (stainless steel network, CDU , hybrid air/liquid load banks), Data4 and its partners are anticipating future large-scale deployments of DLC in its infrastructures. Among these partners, Danfoss plays a key role by providing CDUs optimized for energy performance.
Rentaload has also contributed the first hybrid load banks Liquid+Air, capable of diffusing heat both through air and through the DLC water network. All this new equipment offers infrastructure testing capability, simulating racks of up to 140kW Liquid + 60kW Air Smart Load Bank.
DLC vs. air cooling: discoveries of the life-cycle analysis
One of the major phases of the POC was the assessment of the comparative environmental impact between air cooling and a hybrid air + water solution (DLC). The findings of this life-cycle analysis (LCA) speak for themselves:
- Optimized materials: The use of stainless steel for the distribution networks, lighter and easier to set up, reduces the environmental impact by up to 70% compared with conventional steel (with 50% of materials sourced from recycling).
- CDU optimization: The CDU design was improved to limit thermal pinch in the exchangers, which reduces the need for cooling over the primary production loop.
- Rationalization of equipment: An optimized approach was adopted to keep equipment to a strict minimum, while preserving redundancy and dependability.
The study, conducted by APL, confirmed that the DLC solution from Data4 allows a 40% reduction in overall environmental impact compared with an air-only cooling system.
A rigorous commissioning validated by the Uptime Institute
To guarantee the performance and reliability of this new cooling solution, Data4 has put in place a formal commissioning process in collaboration with the Uptime Institute. This external validation ensures an impartial assessment of the installation’s performance and an enriching sharing of experience.
This commissioning program includes the reviewing of test scripts by a third party, guaranteeing that each validation step abides by industry best practice. This commitment to rigour and transparency helps to forge customer and partner trust in the adoption of our DLC technology.
Towards a widespread adoption of DLC
Beyond this first deployment, Data4 is boosting the large-scale adoption of DLC: 250 MW of DLC design projects are currently in progress across all our data centers. A major stride forward to meet the demands of the new workloads and guarantee an ever more sustainable and effective infrastructure.
This project is a crucial stage in the evolution of data centers into more sustainable, resilient infrastructures.
