Power constraints prompt data centers to adapt designs and operations
Infinitum today announced poll results from the GBI Better Buildings: Data Centers Seminar, an event bringing data center leaders together to discuss strategies to improve sustainability and resilience at a time of unprecedented demand.
According to Infinitum’s poll results, 70% of respondents have an initiative to reduce or optimize data center power consumption, and implementing cooling equipment with higher-efficiency motors or fan systems is the top strategy to support this goal. Cost savings, reducing strain on the electric grid and the reallocation of power for revenue-generating workloads are the top three reasons data centers are optimizing power consumption.
Cooling systems currently consume roughly 30% of the total power usage within a data center, according to Science Direct. With U.S. power consumption from data centers expected to nearly double by decade’s end, there is growing urgency to optimize energy consumption and increase operational efficiency. This is especially critical in order to meet the growth in AI workloads, which are projected to represent 50% to 70% of data center demand by 2030.
Event speakers outlined innovative cooling approaches, such as ultra-efficient chillers employing advanced motors, as well as waterless cooling and air-cooled heat rejection strategies that support mixed and variable rack densities across the same row, offering flexibility as demand shifts.
Speakers also discussed adapting to power availability by rethinking data center design and location, including sourcing 100% renewable energy, leveraging natural gas or considering secondary and emerging markets where energy is more available or affordable.
“The poll results confirm what we’re hearing across the industry — power optimization is now a strategic lever for data centers,” said Anthony Lou, Director of Mission Critical Systems for Infinitum. “As the AI revolution marches on and power consumption from data centers nearly doubling over the next decade, efficiency isn’t just an option — it’s essential for resilience, profitability and sustainability.”
To learn more about how Infinitum’s advanced, high-efficiency motor systems are helping data centers optimize power consumption, click here.
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