Serving Sustainability through Data Center Design
The past decade has seen a boom in data center development. AI, smart devices and advanced technologies have accelerated the demand for data processing, projecting a global generation of 2,100 zettabytes of data by 2035. Arizona is well positioned as a prime location for these facilities due to the low-risk climate and large parcels of land. However, not all see data centers as valuable newcomers, especially those concerned about energy and resource conservation. But what if these projects could help rather than hurt the community?
As momentum builds around data centers, Gensler sees three areas of opportunity for this building type to advance sustainable design and benefit communities.
Data Centers Can Drive Net Zero Energy Building Designs and More Affordable Renewable Energy Systems
Data center developers require optimal use of power for their facilities. Unlike other buildings defined by square footage, a data center’s scale is defined by power demand. For data centers, the golden metric is PUE, ideally a PUE of 1.0 — a power usage effectiveness in which the total power consumption of the facility equals the total power consumed for computing. Sustainable data centers achieve a PUE of less than 1.15, with a 2023 market average of 1.58. Most data centers, therefore, spend more than one-third of their energy demand on facility operations (lighting, pumps, fans, etc.).
Chasing a PUE of 1.0 requires a zero-energy footprint for the building, driving net zero energy building design. Data centers can pilot new cooling technologies, improve controls integration, explore reuse options for waste heat, and hone design skills for high-performance buildings. They also have the potential to incorporate large-scale on-site renewable energy systems, increasing market supply and driving down costs. Furthermore, the high energy needs for data centers facilitate alternative low-carbon energy solutions such as small-scale nuclear power.
Data Centers Can Shift Our Development Approach to Conserve Water and Make Wastewater Reuse in Building Design More Feasible
About 40% of data center energy consumption is for cooling, which is traditionally provided by evaporative cooling towers. Many regions cannot support the water demands of these systems, with some hyperscale data centers consuming up to 500,000 gallons a day, enough water to supply more than 3,400 households in Arizona. In response, many municipalities limit potable water supplies for large industrial and data center facilities.
Data center developers are committing to significant reductions in water consumption and investing in water recycling systems. Several data centers are moving to 100% dry-cooling, which may incur higher energy usage but preserves the water supply. These strategies generate critical performance data and expertise for project teams, helping to reduce the cost of these systems and facilitate implementation in other project types.
Conservation goals in data center development place the energy-water nexus at the forefront of systems design conversations. Like PUE, data centers can set WUE targets (water usage effectiveness) to reduce water consumption relative to computing energy (liter/kWh). When viewed in tandem, these metrics can drive symbiotic resource conservation measures at a utility scale, especially since nearly three-fourths of a data center’s water footprint is due to electricity generation.
Data Centers Can Rehabilitate Derelict Sites and Restore Ecological and Social Amenities for a Community
Given the energy and water concerns for data center developers, choosing a site is a critical first step. Long lead times for equipment, infrastructure and power delivery directly impact the bottom line for projects. Old industrial buildings often have the infrastructure and power supply prepositioned and can spatially and structurally support large and heavy data halls.
The data center typology can revive blighted buildings and restore stranded assets. If located next to city centers, they can save costs of laying down fiber. Even for new build projects, there is the potential to remediate contaminated sites. For large-scale, phased projects, there is an opportunity to engage in slower, more natural remediation strategies. Once the site is restored, the land could become a community amenity such as a walking trail or nature park with preserved habitats for keystone species.
Data centers present an exciting opportunity for innovation, requiring critical evaluation of resource allocation at an unprecedented scale. Because of projected growth, they necessitate advancing sustainable design solutions quickly. All design options are on the table, and all experts need to be involved. As a global firm, Gensler is leaning into our network of practitioners to advance this sector’s potential in creating a more sustainable future for all.
Kaley Blackstock is the sustainability director for Gensler’s Southwest Region and local Phoenix office.