Facebook is pioneering a StatePoint Liquid Cooling (SPLC) system, developed in partnership with Nortek Air Solutions, that promises to increase the power efficiency of its data centers.
The latest Facebook data centers in certain dry climates currently use a direct evaporative cooling system based on outdoor air rather than water.
Facebook estimates that the new SPLC technique can reduce water usage by more than 20 percent for data centers in hot and humid climates and by almost 90 percent in cooler climates.
The SPLC system is described as an advanced evaporative cooling technology, patented by Nortek, that uses a liquid-to-air energy exchanger, in which water is cooled as it evaporates through a membrane separation layer.
Further details are provided on Facebook’s engineering blog.
