The use of water-based cooling methods is becoming an increasingly important decision for new data centers and their operators. This presentation discusses the issues associated with water based cooling and other cooling alternatives

1. Just Add Water: The Resource Issues
of Water-Based Cooling
Chris Crosby, CEO, Compass Datacenters

2. Who We Are
• Compass Datacenters provides complete data center
packages
• Built using our Truly Modular™ Architecture
• Patent pending design
• Geographically independent
• The building is the module
• Simplify Capacity Planning
• Growth in 1.2MW Increments
• Control
• Ownership or lease
• Operations and security
• Expansion
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3. Drought
• Definitions vary:
• “Prolonged period of reduced precipitation severe enough to
reduce soil moisture, water, and snow levels below the minimum
necessary for sustaining plant, animal, and economic systems”
• Codified example (Washington State):
• “Water supply for area is below 75% of normal”
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4. A Precious Resource
• 2012 Drought
• 61% of 48 contiguous states
• Abnormally dry or drought conditions
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5. The Geography of Drought Risk
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Generation capability lost in severe drought scenario
Source: Analysis of Drought Impacts on Electricity Production in the Western and Texas Interconnections of the United States,
Argonne National Laboratory, 2011

6. Anatomy of a Drought
• Washington State (2001)
• Precipitation 56% to 74% of normal
• Estimated $2.5-$6B in economic
impact
• Bonneville Power paid businesses
over $400M
• To stay closed!
• Over 3,000 jobs lost
• Smelting firms closed
• “The price of power was so high that Alcoa figured out it
could make more money selling power than selling
Aluminum”.
• Dave O’Hara, Green Data Center Blog
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7. Why This is an Important Lesson
• 100 Year climate estimate
• Drought conditions 10-15% of the time
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8. A Lot of Water
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*National Renewable Energy Lab
**James Hamilton, Amazon

9. Relief from Outside
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• Answers don’t always come from within
• Case in point: Hedy Lamar came up with the idea for spread
spectrum communications

10. A Universal Alternative
• Even Houston has over 3600 hours
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11. The Math
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• “…Water overlooked in a zealous focus on PUE”
• Dave O’Hara, Green Data Center Blog
• Do the math (Project savings over 10 years*)
• Cost of adiabatic cooling capability- $500K
• $10K annual operational and maintenance cost
• $0.058 per kWh average utility cost
• 7% discount rate over 10 years
• Power draw rises 250kW, 500kW, 750kW
• 1,000kW thereafter
• 10 Year PV “Savings”
• 75° Adiabatic- (415,000)
• 58° Adiabatic- (421,000)
* Based on New Mexico DC

12. Airside Economization
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• A more flexible alternative
• DX units with integrated controls
• No need for human interaction

13. Summary
• Water is a precious resource
• T. Boone Pickens
• The issue isn’t water efficiency
• It’s availability and cost
• Drought
• Unpredictable in impact
• Increases likelihood of cost impact
• Water based systems a “faith-based” decision
• Fresh air is a viable alternative
• Lower CapEx and OpEx
• Usable in virtually any climate
• Not always the best in efficiency, just the best business decision
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