Record-breaking heatwaves continue to strain the economy as they make headlines around the world. Overheating is having a huge impact on data center operations and infrastructure, from outages and disruptions at data centers in the UK, to reduced production at power plants in France, to increasing concerns about water use in drought-stricken regions around the world. Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions (NYSE: VRT) today released recommendations for data center operators and related companies to help them address these challenges.

“One thing that is clear from all this is that extreme weather events will become more frequent. With this in mind, we need to be prepared for new circumstances,” said Karsten Winther, Head of Vertiv Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who is looking for ways to mitigate emerging risks. Our service teams have proven the value they create for customers by providing the necessary guidance and support not only in managing immediate effects, but also on how to act to build resilience in the future.”

Here are recommendations for immediate action from Vertiv experts to keep systems cool and data centers up and running:

-Run as many units as possible to reduce the load on each cooling unit, depending on the data room load. Normally, an organization will run all standby units, but if the IT load is not 100 percent, organizations must run enough units to keep each cooling unit running at its best. This lowers the refrigerant pressure so that there is no risk of tripping at high ambient temperatures and high pressures. This also ensures more efficient operation.

– Organize a regular maintenance plan. Vertiv recommends that its customers schedule preventive maintenance on a quarterly basis. For compressor-based (DX) units, Vertiv recommends cleaning the condenser coils every three months or more. Failure to properly and regularly clean the condenser coil can lead to a greater reduction in the total capacity of the thermal unit than the ambient temperature. Also, proper maintenance of the refrigerant level ensures smooth operation of design capacity and operating efficiency. Too high or too low a refrigerant charge can lead to operational inefficiencies.

“Unprecedented temperatures around the world are putting increasing pressure on data center operators and infrastructure providers, requiring them to maintain reliability and connectivity,” said Steve Madara, Vertiv Vice President of Thermal Sales. It emphasizes the importance of a robust preventive maintenance and cleaning plan. tailored to your needs. Data center operators may need to be prepared for operating cost compromises to compensate for overcapacity.”

It is important to work with a qualified data center service provider to create a maintenance and service plan that meets the needs of today’s warm weather conditions and tomorrow’s uncertain climate conditions.

As the planet continues to warm and the impacts of the climate crisis increase, extreme weather events will become more commonplace. Short-term actions will therefore have to be accompanied by longer-term systemic changes in the sector.

“As an industry, we need to look at regions such as the Middle East, Africa and Austria, which have high temperatures for most of the year and have adapted to these temperatures, and learn from their experiences,” Madara said, adding “If we do, it’s clear that the status quo will not take us into the future. We need to re-evaluate the roof space planning and design our data center infrastructure to withstand higher heat loads by improving the layout in addition to capacity. out of infrastructure systems.”

Here are the best practices and advice for long-term action from Vertiv experts:

-Consider different types of cooling systems, including immersion cooling, waterless cooling, and evaporative-free cooling systems, designed to provide reliability and efficiency in high temperature environments.

– If you depend on solar cells as a source of energy, keep in mind that the effectiveness of solar cells decreases as the ambient temperature rises.

Don’t rely on data from past years that doesn’t account for today’s extreme temperatures to determine data center capacity. Use predictive models instead.