The Tool Desk
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Start by measuring the whole cooling system
Cooling demand depends on more than the chiller. IT heat load, rack layout, airflow, server inlet conditions, control settings, equipment efficiency and outdoor conditions all affect how much energy and water a facility uses. Establish a baseline before changing equipment or setpoints so that savings can be judged against the same operating conditions.
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- Track facility energy and IT equipment energy, plus cooling-system energy where it can be measured separately.
- Record site water use, server inlet temperature and humidity, IT load patterns, and periods when cooling equipment is operating at part load.
- Use consistent boundaries when comparing performance over time. Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is total facility energy divided by IT equipment energy over the same period. Water usage effectiveness (WUE) is a water-use indicator; document the facility’s definition and measurement boundary rather than comparing figures with different scopes.
- Assess water impact and carbon as well as energy. ASHRAE’s framework also points to water usage intensity (WUI), carbon usage effectiveness (CUE) and other resource measures. A lower PUE alone does not prove lower water consumption or carbon emissions.
DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) reported that the National Laboratory of the Rockies data center achieved a PUE of 1.06 and WUE of 0.7 in its 2019 cooling-water guidance. Those are reported results for that facility, not universal targets for other data centers.
Which operating changes should a facility try first?
Set temperature and humidity controls to equipment guidance
Review server inlet conditions against the environmental envelope for the installed equipment and the site’s reliability requirements. DOE FEMP’s Best Practices Guide notes that data centers can operate below recommended temperature setpoints and over-control humidity, adding chiller demand and cooling-tower water use without an operational benefit. That does not mean every facility can safely raise temperatures or relax humidity limits: equipment, room conditions and reliability needs determine the acceptable settings.
#1 Best Overall
- NavePoint 1U AC/EC Fan Unit with 2 Fans, 110V Input, Quiet 42.3 dB-A, 198.84 CFM, UL Power Cord with NEMA 5-15P Plug, Steel Cooling Panel for 19" Server Racks
- RACK-READY DESIGN – Mounts in 1U of space on standard 19-inch racks and cabinets to deliver targeted airflow to critical equipment like servers, patch panels, and switches.
- QUIET YET POWERFUL – Provides 198.84 CFM airflow at just 42.3 dB-A, ensuring effective thermal control in workspaces where noise sensitivity and uptime are priorities.
- PLUG & PLAY INSTALLATION – Ships fully assembled in a steel chassis with a durable powder-coated finish; includes a UL-listed power cord with NEMA 5-15P plug and a lighted rocker switch.
- VERSATILE COOLING SOLUTION – Ideal for SOHO, A/V, studio, IT, and data center environments where compact, quiet, and efficient rack ventilation is required.
Fix airflow problems instead of overcooling the room
Check for hot spots, blocked airflow and poor separation of hot and cold air. A local airflow problem may be addressed more efficiently than lowering supply temperatures across an entire room. Monitor server inlets as conditions change, and coordinate cooling controls with the IT load.
Match equipment output to real demand
Variable-speed fans, pumps and other cooling equipment can reduce unnecessary operation when paired with suitable control sequences. DOE recommends coordinated control that responds to changing ambient conditions and IT loads, as well as regular attention to sensors. Set supply-air and chilled-water conditions dynamically where the system and equipment allow it; avoid optimizing one component without checking its effect on the rest of the facility.
Can economizers reduce cooling energy?
Yes, when outdoor conditions and system design make them useful. Economizers use favorable ambient conditions to reduce or bypass some mechanical cooling, but the available savings depend on the climate and the number of suitable operating hours.
Rank #2
- Dimensions: 5.25"H x 19"W x 1.5"D
- 3 Fans
- Switches: Lighted ON/OFF rocker switch
- Noise Level: 43dB-A to 47 dB-A Max
- Input Voltage: 110V 50/60Hz
| Approach | How it works | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Air-side economizing | Suitable outdoor air is used to reduce mechanical cooling. | Outdoor-air quality, humidity, equipment limits and the site’s climate. The system must maintain acceptable conditions at IT equipment. |
| Water-side economizing | A heat exchanger uses suitable ambient conditions to cool the water loop, reducing or bypassing chiller operation. | Climate and system design, including whether cooling towers remain in use. Lower chiller energy does not necessarily mean lower direct water use. |
For either approach, evaluate actual operating hours and resource use at the site. DOE’s design guidance favors controls that adapt to varying weather and IT loads rather than assuming one fixed operating condition.
How can cooling-tower water use be reduced?
Cooling towers reject heat partly through evaporation, and they also discharge blowdown to control dissolved minerals. Water chemistry and system limits constrain how far a facility can reduce blowdown, but managing cycles of concentration can reduce makeup-water demand.
DOE FEMP reported in 2019 that increasing cycles of concentration from three to six reduces cooling-tower makeup-water requirements by 20% and blowdown by 50%. The change should be made only where the water chemistry and equipment limits permit it.
Rank #3
- Pair of axial fans made to keep air flow and your equipment at low temperature
- Fits all standard 19” network cabinets; AC 110V Fan; 95/110CFM Airflow; 2600-2800rpm; 45dBA, Silent; AC cable 6.2ft and Ground wire 9" attached
- Network Cabinet Fan Applications - fan cooler panels, trays or server, media cabinets, computer case, DIY mount; overheat protection
- Steel Frame; Metal Finger Guard; Quick Mount Silicone Rubber Screws - Rivets; Self-tapping screws;
- Standard accessories exhaust replacement size: outer dimensions: 4.75”x4.75" - 4 inch between holes
Reverse osmosis can treat cooling-tower blowdown so the recovered permeate may be reused as makeup water. DOE cautions that this adds energy use, operating and maintenance requirements, and cost; it can also worsen PUE. Treat it as a site-specific option where freshwater supply or water stress justifies the trade-off, not as an automatic environmental improvement.
When does liquid cooling make sense?
Direct liquid cooling transfers heat from IT equipment into a circulating liquid loop instead of relying first on room air. A coolant distribution unit can transfer heat from the IT loop to the facility cooling system. This can suit high-density workloads, including some AI systems, but it changes the facility’s controls, service requirements and heat-rejection needs.
Liquid cooling does not inherently eliminate room-air cooling, chillers, cooling towers or water use. Configurations vary, and some retain air cooling or continue to use conventional equipment to reject heat. ASHRAE’s AI data-center framework recommends technology cooling systems for purpose-built sites with high rack densities, while emphasizing that power and cooling choices need integrated design.
Rank #4
- 1.Temp Control auto server fan. Fits 19” Standard Equipment. Accommodates tower units, monitors, and other equipment.
- 2.Cold Rolled Steel Made. Powder coated finish that protects them from rust and corrosion.
- 3.4 fans in one. Air flow up to 220 CFM.
- 4.Quiet functioning: 42-48dBA.
- 5.Package includes M6 mounting screws and cage nuts.
Compare direct-to-chip, rear-door, immersion, air and hybrid approaches only where the workload and IT equipment support a real choice. A site assessment should consider:
- Rack density and the supported equipment temperature envelope.
- Retrofit scope, redundancy, service access and the facility team’s maintenance capability.
- Ambient extremes, energy use, local water stress and the carbon intensity of electricity.
- Capital cost, ongoing operating cost and any opportunity to reuse heat.
Are dry coolers a lower-impact alternative to cooling towers?
Dry coolers reject heat without relying on the same evaporative cooling process as a wet cooling tower, which can make them attractive where water is constrained. Their performance is weather-sensitive, however, and ASHRAE notes that dry coolers can cost three to four times more to install than traditional wet cooling towers. Whether they reduce overall cost or impact depends on climate, energy prices, operating requirements and the value placed on water savings.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsASHRAE’s integrated-design page presents an illustrative 50 MW scenario using an assumed electricity price of $0.10 per kWh. It estimates annual power costs of about $61.3 million for a traditional chilled-water case and $48.1 million for a dry-cooled case, a modeled difference of $13.2 million per year. These are scenario estimates from ASHRAE’s framework page, accessed October 4, 2026—not a forecast or guaranteed saving for an individual facility. The installation-cost difference and local weather must also be considered.
Best Value
- Quality Certification: Rack mount cooling fan is made of high-quality steel; 110 50/60Hz input voltage; 6ft power cord; NEMA 5-15P input plug type; Complete installation accessories are included
- 2 Fans: Rack mount fan is equipped with 2 fans for strong wind power to deal with multi device heat dissipation in confined space, especially for those dissipate heat from bottom
- Compact Construction: 1U rack mount cooling fan occupies only 1 unit, reducing the storage stress of racks and cabinets
- Convenient Use: Light switch enables ON/OFF at any time effortlessly
- Multi Scenario Usability: You can install this cooling fan in 19in wide network racks or cabinets or even in poorly ventilated spaces, like audio room, studio, grocery room and warehouse
How should a facility compare options?
DOE cautions that there is no single most-efficient data-center design for every scenario. Compare proposed changes using the same system boundaries and the facility’s actual load and operating conditions. Where possible, relate resource use to useful IT work rather than looking only at total facility consumption.
- Climate: How many hours can economizers or other ambient-dependent systems operate effectively?
- Compute: What are the workload, rack density and equipment temperature limits?
- Resources: What are the expected annual energy and cooling-energy changes, direct water use, and effect on local water stress?
- Economics: How do capital cost, local energy price, water cost and lifetime operations and maintenance compare?
- Operations: Can the site support the required redundancy, control systems, commissioning and maintenance?
- Climate impact and heat: What is the electricity’s carbon intensity, and is there a practical user for recovered heat?
Can waste heat be reused?
Warm-water loops, district-heating connections and other energy-recovery arrangements can make use of heat that would otherwise be rejected. Reuse is practical only when there is a nearby or connected heat user with a suitable temperature requirement and demand that aligns with the data center’s output. Evaluate connection distance, seasonal demand and project economics rather than assuming all rejected heat can be reused.
Continuous monitoring and commissioning help operators verify that the system performs as intended as workloads and outdoor conditions change. The payoff from any cooling measure should be judged across energy, water, carbon, reliability and operating cost, not by one efficiency metric alone.
Quick Recap
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