In a groundbreaking effort to address energy consumption and carbon emissions in data centers, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has launched the Cooling Operations Optimized for Leaps in Energy, Reliability, and Carbon Hyperefficiency for Information Processing Systems (COOLERCHIPS) program. With a $40 million investment, ARPA-E has selected 15 projects to revolutionize how data centers are cooled, with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) playing a key role in leading and supporting multiple projects.
Data centers, which power our digital world, are known for their high energy consumption, accounting for approximately 2% of all electricity usage in the United States. Cooling these facilities can make up to 40% of their energy consumption, making efficient cooling strategies essential. NREL, as a pioneer in clean energy research, is at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to reduce the energy required to power and cool data centers.
One of the COOLERCHIPS projects led by NREL focuses on standardizing the evaluation of cooling technologies. Working with partners from Georgia Tech and Sandia National Laboratories, NREL researcher David Sickinger is developing standardized testing methods to assess cooling technologies across different scales, from individual components to full-edge data centers. This initiative aims to provide a benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of cooling solutions in real-world data center environments.
NREL’s Sreekant Narumanchi and his team are integral contributors to several COOLERCHIPS partner projects, including collaborations with the University of Missouri, University of Maryland, and University of Florida. These projects focus on developing innovative cooling solutions using hybrid mechanical-capillary-driven loops, integrated decision support software tools, and disruptive thermal management technology for CPU and GPU chips in data center server racks.
The ultimate goal of the COOLERCHIPS program is to reduce total cooling energy expenditure in data centers to less than 5% of the IT load, regardless of location or computing system density. By lowering the energy consumption and carbon footprint of data centers, this initiative aims to enhance data center security, reduce operational costs, and contribute to the overall goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
For more information about ARPA-E and the COOLERCHIPS program, visit their website to learn about the innovative projects selected to revolutionize data center cooling technology.
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